The Doctor's Daughter- The End of Time
by StarkyGirl
Summary: Ella-Marie Stark's future is coming in fast as well as her father's. Rumours of Trenzalore are coming true and it seems the Doctor has gone on the run with his daughter. There is more to this than what they had expected. Time finally breaks... (I do not own anything other than Ella-Marie Stark and Darcyl Jones )
1. The End of Time

Chapter 1: The End of Time  
"You saw what happened." His lips were so near to her ear that it sent tingles down her back. "You watched from the sideline and you watched within the game." Her lips curled into a smirk as she got the scolding of a life time but she didn't care because she had just blown a hole in all of time and space and it was her greatest moment yet. His hand grabbed the back of her chair, the other slammed down on the front of the table before her. "Tell me Emerald Sigma… Why?"

Her blue eyes trailed up to meet the man's hazel ones, the shine in them was of pure and utter perfection and yet held so much pain and suffering. "You know why." Her soft English accent could only be heard by him as he gazed down at her. "It's not true; in all my life I have never met you or seen you!" He hissed at her before pushing back from the chair and waltzing around to the opposite side of the desk. His boots paced across the floor for a moment, the scraping beneath them was the only sound in the freezing interrogation room. The man's hand clamped the chair, turned it around so the back was against the table before he straddled it and stared at his prisoner, right into her eyes. "How can you be her? I watched her die, I watched as a thousand suns burned to mourn her death…" He spoke through gritted teeth, his knuckles burning white as he gripped the chair's back.

The smirk was still on her lips, her blue eyes still focused on his hazel ones, the same ones she got lost in every time he came to her. Finally after much silence, she leaned forward and murmured with her red painted lips, "A thousand suns? What a way to go…" A flicker of happiness mixed with sadness was in her sea blue eyes for a moment before she realised why she was here. "… But I know how I can be her, after all, I'm the only person left in the universe that knows what is going on… Doctor."

The chair creaked a little as the Doctor leaned forward, his eyes set on her like lions on food. "Then tell me," He almost snarled but there was no denying that this girl did look like her. Still his hands burned white as he sat there, a staring competition he thought he'd win. Emerald took in a breath and sat back, her cuffed hands tucked behind her back. "Where do you want me to start?" 


	2. Dinner at Stark's

Chapter 2: Dinner at Stark's

The wind breezed through her long locks as she stood upon the roof top over looking the city. New York, in its rather odd way, was stunning and there was no denying it. Behind her she heard the sound of footsteps so that was where her gaze went, over her shoulder. As she did she was met with deep brown eyes, a slight smile, "Hey Tony." The man smiled back at the girl before him, ruffling her brown hair with slightly dirtied hands. "Hey Ella, what you doing out here?" He pressed the glass of whiskey to his lips that he had in hand, he too staring out at the sun soaked skyline. "Thinking, planning, drafting and redrafting," His sister replied with a hint of sadness to her voice. "In that order?" Ella nodded at her brother's question as her eyes were set on the horizon, her fingers fiddling with a blue envelope in her hand. It had been a while since her father had called on her, if anything it had been years and she knew why, deep down she knew. Tony tilted his head a little as he glanced down at the envelope in his sister's hand. "Mail came this morning?" He gestured to the item before smiling a little.

Well if anything he had been smiling a lot recently in this past year, he was a real man now. There was no arc reactor in his chest, no more metal shards daring to tear his heart open, he was just human now. Of course this never boded well for Ella, it was a curse of the Time Lords according to her father, having a human at your side but then again Tony was before her father and she loved him. "Yea, came just before you woke up." Still the envelope danced between her fingers as she spoke, turning clockwise on the tips at each end. It revolved like earth did on its axis, turning as time passed. "Alice's birthday is in a few weeks. I said to Tilly that we should organise a little tea party with her nursery friends." Ella had told Tilly countless times that she needed to let Ella look after Alice, after all Li could help out now she was eight, her world was now becoming an oyster for learning. If Li could teach what she knew to little Alice then there was no way her family would be caught off guard. "Well, matter of fact Ella, I have just the plan." Tony planted a kiss on Ella's cheek before heading back inside, leaving his sister on the roof top to think about things.

Tonight was the family dinner, and like every Thursday night Ella laid out a plate in case her father showed. Tilly had showed up with Alice, Li and Sereda where comfy in her presence and enjoyed the company. However Narfi was not to show tonight, something to do with his family back on Asgard. It was nice though, to have all the Starks together and not a single threat in their way. Just like a regular family.  
The wooden spoon stirred within the pan, mixing the thick white sauce, bubbling away like a spring. A soft sigh escaped Ella's lips as she stared into nothing while working over the pan. A set of fingers gently grasped her shoulder, forcing a flinch from the girl. "Hey… hey it's only me." Tilly smiled at her sister, those red locks of hers falling around her shoulders. "Just seeing if the cheese sauce was done, ready for the pasta?"  
Ella glanced from Tilly to the pan then back again, "Y-yea, it's all done. Is the pasta done then?" Tony glanced up from the other side of the counter and nodded, "Best call the girls to dinner." He gestured to the next room with a shaker full of spices.  
Tilly took a hold of the spoon that lay in Ella's hands, "Go on you, I can handle this." She nudged her sister to one side playfully, leaving Ella to stand there for a moment in silence before walking into the lounge. "Hey girls… Uncle Tony has dinner nearly ready." Li glanced up with a grin; it seemed as she grew older she was coming out of her shell. Ella gently scooped Sereda into her arms while Li did the same with Alice, doing as her mother had taught her. The group walked over to the table, Ella setting Sereda in a high chair before taking Alice from Li's arms and doing the same with her. "Li be like Mummy one day!" The young girl exclaimed as she watched her mother tend to the smaller children. "Yes you might be sweetie." Ella replied, trying to act as if there was nothing on her mind but pure happiness.

Tony came waltzing into the dining room, a huge pot of Macaroni cheese in hand, that stupid grin on his face. "Coming through!" He laughed, plonking the glass dish in the centre of the table. "Shocking, food that isn't Shwarma for once." Ella playfully nudged her brother as Tilly walked in behind him with a plate of bread. "Hey, it's some good stuff. You'll be surprised of the places you see when you're in the middle of combat." Ella rolled her eyes as she took up a seat between her two daughters. Tony on the other hand took up the end chair and Tilly the other side of the table with Alice. "So how was your day Tilly?" Ella asked, serving up a plate for her and the girls before passing the pot over to her sister. "Reasonable, you know how it goes. Big battle then nothing for a few years, that or everything is rammed into a few months." All three of them chuckled because they all knew this was true. One minute Tony was an average guy selling weapons then suddenly he was a weapon and doing all he could to save humanity. Tilly had suffered a tragic change in her life and a few losses within months of being part of the family and Ella… well she had lost her to be husband, found out that the Norse gods existed before becoming a Stark. However it simply fell silent again, their lives became regular nine to fives, family was top priority and none of them had suffered a single threat in the past year. It never stopped them from being on high alert though; they were waiting for the day to come when they'd have to pick up their weapons again to fight.

Ella liked to keep some things to herself when it came to family meals, a few issues she wanted to sit on before even discussing it. Tony could see that his sister was certainly thinking on something and it had been to do with that letter that he had seen her with earlier. "So you wanna tell us about the letter you received this morning?" Ella glanced up at her brother and swallowed the forkful of food in her mouth. Her fingers curled around the napkin, picking it up to dab her lips. "It's nothing." Well that was certainly and A+ lie. Tony raised a brow, seeing that Ella's gaze was now back on her food. "A fancy envelope like that and you say it's nothing? Ella I know you, I've known you for four years now to know when you're lying."

Tilly glanced between them for a moment, the spoon in her hand not far from Alice's lips. Ella didn't look up once; she kept her eyes dead set on the plate, trying to think of a lie good enough to keep them quite. Her head lifted up slowly, eyes closed and a breath of air leaving her lungs, she softly spoke, "I've been called away to a meeting back on Asgard." Ella didn't want to say anything further but she had to make the lie believable. "The people of Vanaheim wish to speak with AllFather and I need to be there to take notes. I'll be gone for a few days."

Tilly nearly dropped the spoon from her hand where Tony nearly choked on his food, "But they haven't called for your attendance at meetings in a year… why now?" Tony questioned in a flash, wondering if this had something to do with Ella's latest change in titles. The girl had gone from one of the lower ranks as a human to a Lady before being thrown into the world of a Princess since she had married Narfi. His sister shrugged before eating once more. "Ella, what about the girls?" Tilly nodded to Li and Sereda, "Want me to look after them?" Silly question in all honesty because she knew that Narfi wouldn't allow Sereda to be babysat by anyone but himself. "Thanks but I'll leave them with Narfi." Ella's fork nudged the food on her plate, she was starting to wish she cooked herself some fish fingers and custard. Tony took a swig of water from the glass that by his plate, he had seen through Ella's lie and quite frankly he wanted to know why his baby sister had to develop such a lie. 

The Starks finished up their food eventually, swaying away from Ella's trip and discussing the birthday's for the little ones this year. Li was determined that she wanted a pink princess theme for hers and if Ella didn't agree then she'd ask Narfi and damn did she have that bloke wrapped around her finger. Tony had suggested it would be a good idea but Ella was still not sure.

The night rolled on though, the kids were settled down to sleep and Ella found herself bound to the balcony of Stark towers once more, whiskey in hand. It seemed her thoughts were far away, not even picking up the sounds of the television from the lounge. Her mind rested on the thoughts labelled, 'Dad's death' because often at times when he thought he was to die, he'd call Ella his Little Pond and he had done so in the letter countless times. It kind of hurt, she wasn't going to deny herself that but it was true she was hurting like hell right now.

One thought popped into her head, the story of the death at Lake Silencio where a good man who had gone to war had finally died. The astronaut that stole his life had always bounced around Ella's mind trying to figure out who it could have been. Then again, it was just a story from her childhood, just like the story of Demon's Run and that of when time stopped, all just stories. The whiskey was harsh against her throat as it hit the back and trickled down into her stomach. Ella shook her head a little to shake away the sudden burn before glancing back up at the night sky. "Where are you dad?" She mumbled before taking another swig of her drink.

Tony had awoken from his light slumber; the welcoming warm breeze from the balcony drifted in to the lounge as he slowly sat up on the couch and rubbed his tired, weary eyes. After a few moments of sitting there recollecting himself, he glanced to his right to see Tilly curled up asleep in the chair but Ella was gone from the seat beside him where he swore she had fallen asleep against him. Tony glanced over his shoulder to see a figure in the doorway, staring out at the city skyline, the stars shining above.

He got to his feet and sleepily strolled over to what he assumed was his sister. As he reached her, he placed a hand on her shoulder and glanced down at her while she finally tore her gaze from the landscape to look at her brother. "Something's bugging you and before you start lying to me, don't. I can see something is on your mind because you are drinking the strongest whiskey I own." He gestured to the glass in her hand while the contents swirled within it. Ella simply shrugged before knocking the last swig back, swallowing the fiery liquid in seconds. A sigh escaped her as she stared at the now empty glass before speaking, "I lied about the letter…"

Tony couldn't help but scoff, he knew all too well that she was but all he wanted was to hear her admit it, for it to come from her own mouth. He placed an arm around her and pulled her to his side, "I know you did… so what's the truth then?" He was rather worried for Ella but he couldn't show that too much right now in case she ended up disconnecting from him. "It's dad…"  
"Benjamin?" The name 'Benjamin' came about when Tony finally met Ella's dad and decided he needed an actual name rather than 'The Doctor'. Ella nodded a little, her finger brushing against the rim of the glass. "The letter was from him and the way he wrote it… it sounded as if he was in trouble."

Not that wasn't unusual but why would you call upon your daughter if it was something he could easily get out of? Tony gently kissed Ella's head, his fingers running through her hair. "Then go to him, if he needs you then go to him. I can deal with the girls and I can speak with Narfi. Just go to your father because he is more important right now." He gave another kiss on Ella's head before unwrapping his arm from her. Ella nodded, yet again sighing in slight worry.

In all the times that Tony and her father never got on, it seemed that Tony still wanted her to sort things out with the Doctor. "It's not that though, he mentions Trenzalore. In the stories I can remember from my childhood, it's where the eleventh falls." Ella stayed leaning against her brother, eyes slipping shut in order to comprehend the words she had read. Tony lay his cheek upon the girl's head before replying, "The eleventh as in your father?" His sister nodded silently. Tony knew of the many faces of the Doctor now, knew what regeneration was and why it was needed and even how the Doctor came about having it. He'd learnt in order to understand his sister's biology better in case anything happened. "It's probably something else; maybe he just trips up there…" He shrugged a little trying to keep Ella from dwelling on it further.

The siblings stood there for another hour or two before Tony finally forced Ella to go to bed. After all she had drunk some damn strong whiskey and he was surprised she was still standing. Ella stumbled a little as they made their way back into the lounge, Tilly still fast asleep on the chair. "Tony… bro... I love ya loads… ok?" Ella poked her brother in the chest, glass still in hand. He couldn't help but laugh even though her drinking was due to sadness. "I know, you've said a ton of times now but you need sleep because you have a lot to do tomorrow." Tony practically dropped his sister on the couch nearby before grabbing a spare blanket from the draws. "Tony… what if he dies?" Ella finally sounded like she was sobering up but then again. Tony paused as he pulled out the blanket. For a moment he had no idea what to say, no idea what to do because he really had no clue of how Time Lords lived. "He's the Doctor, he never dies." He clenched his teeth a little because that was possibly a lie and his sister probably knew that too. Ella sighed, not saying anything else as she let a silent tear slip down her slightly rosy cheeks, turning into the sofa in order to sleep. Tony got to his feet and draped the warm blanket over Ella before kissing her head. "You'll be fine, you're always fine. Stark by name… Pond by nature," He murmured before heading to his room, hitting the lights on the way out.

A shrill beep rang out, the darkened windows were now brightening as the sun light was allowed in. "Good Morning, It is nine A.M in New York and today the weather will be relatively dry." The girls moaned and stretched as they got their wake up call from J.A.R.V.I.S. Tilly frowned, one eye open as she glanced over to find Ella stretching before scratching her scalp. "Morning Ella," Tilly mumbled as she bought her legs down from the curled up position she was in and rubbing her face. Ella on the other hand stayed lying on the sofa, eyes staring up at the light coloured ceiling.

She hadn't wanted to be awake right now because it meant venturing off into the unsafe lifestyle of her father so simply laying still where she was allowed that thought to be far away, "Morning sis.." She murmured, finally sitting up and running a hand through her rather disobeying locks of hair. Tilly watched her sister sit up, eyes narrowed at her as the sun shone into the room. "Is everything ok? You seem… not wanting to get up." Tilly waited for her sister to answer, watching her fiddle with her tangled locks. "I've got that meeting today; I have to be there a few days early." And with those words Ella was pulling the blanket back from herself and heading to her room in order to change.

The towel fell to the floor, her bare yet damp feet padded across the lush, white carpet to where her dresser sat. A naked Ella sat down in front of the mirror that resided upon her dresser top, her sea blue eyes simply staring at her reflection. She took in a deep breath before turning her right shoulder towards the mirror, seeing the top part of the three scars that sat across her back. Her jaw tightened, the vivid and horrific flashback from that day hit her suddenly. Her hand gripped the edge of the dresser while she suffered a mini anxiety attack before finally calming down. It seemed just thinking about that day caused Ella to still panic.

Now calm, she reached for the brush, the soft blue handle glittering a little in the sun rays that shone into the room. It was probably going to be the most relaxing thing she would do for the next few days. The pins on the brush gently untangled her boisterous, brown, curly locks that were still damp from her shower she had. Her eyes slid shut as she brushed her hair; the world around her was dead silent. It was the calm before the storm.

Ella grabbed two bands from the dresser, pulling her hair into a pony tail before plaiting it and finishing the end off with yet another band. The bowtie hung from the side of the mirror, her eyes focused on it the whole time she pinned her hair up. It seemed to be a tradition, an ode to her father, a tribute to what she never had while she grew up. It would be the last thing she put on, just like her father did.  
Ella got up from the dresser and head over to her draws, pulling out her black lace underwear and slipping into them before heading to her wardrobe to take out something she never thought she'd wear again.

The black, cat suit fell upon the bed, Ella staring down at it. Since she last wore it, she had managed to rip off the ranking badges that were woven into the fabric. Now the only thing that remained upon that uniform was the red lines that traced her curves. Hydra always seemed to find a way back into her life no matter how many times it was over for her. Her fingers trailed along the neck line before she tugged it from the bed to put it on.  
It was chilly on her bare skin, slipping over her perfected curves. It had been far too long since she had worn this, naturally she wanted it gone but this was now her uniform that she trained in and therefore fight in. The zip groaned as it trailed up her side, Ella closed her eyes as she remembered every moment that had been spent wearing this.

Once the girl was suited out, the knife in her leg garter, arrows on her hip and the bow on her back, her fingers grasped the red bowtie from the side and gently slipped it around the top part of her plait before tying it neatly. A small smile was on her red painted lips, it was odd how her father had always been there for her even when she never realised this. "Even though that whole uniform represents the people that tried to kill you, took so much from you…" Ella froze at the voice; her brother obviously heard her wake up. She bought her arms down, the slightly raggedy bow now in her hair. "… You still look stunning in it."

Ella scoffed at his last few words and turned to him. "Even though I was on the side against your people once, I guess I could take that as a compliment." She smiled at him, fixing the bow that sat across her. "Tony, If… If I don't come back from this, make it damn good funeral ok?" Her jaw muscles tightened as she spoke, it was hard to say these words but she needed him to know. Tony chuckled, his arms crossed his chest as he leaned against the door frame, "It'll be hell of a party Sis." He didn't want to admit it, didn't want to say it but he couldn't really do much about it. His sister nodded a little, murmuring 'thanks' as she did.

"When do you set off?" Tony asked, watching his sister stand before her looking far less worried than she should do. "In about an hour, if I time it right I will end up within the TARDIS as it floats past Jupiter." The coordinates she had on the letter had ended in 00 which translated into ground zero- The TARDIS. The rest of the coordinates were just simple numbers for the position and timing. Tony pushed off the door frame and walked over to Ella, grasping her hands in his. "I love you ok, and I don't know what I'd do without my crazy sister." He gently pressed his forehead against hers, both at eye level. "I want you safe ok." Ella nodded a little but never promised this because it was just not plausible. "I'll try."

Tony kissed her forehead before letting go of her, "The girls are in the lounge if you want to say goodbye to them." He suggested, wondering if she'd be able to do so. Ella wasn't just going to up and leave without saying goodbye; she wasn't going to do what her father did even if it wasn't his fault. "Thanks…" She smiled, patting his chest before slipping past him.

The wand swished through the air, the sparkly ribbons flickering around behind it. A sound of twinkling echoed out in the lounge as Ella stood there and smiled as she watched Li dance around the room in her pink tutu. Narfi really spoilt the girl. The little girl turned on the spot to see her mother in the door way, "Mummy!" She raced over to Ella who bent down to pick the girl up as she dived into her arms. "Hello Sweetheart." Ella chuckled softly as she nuzzled her nose against Li's hair, arms wrapped around her. "Is mummy going out?" Li asked, pulling back from her mother to look at her. "Yes, mummy has been called to work and daddy might need my help." She couldn't lie to Li but she just didn't understand yet.

Li grasped her mother and sighed, pouting as she did. "Li understand. Does Li and Serry stay here with Uncle Tony and Aunty Tilly?" Ella glanced behind Li to see Alice standing there holding Sereda, a small smile on her face. "Yes, until daddy or I can come and get you ok?" Ella pressed a kiss to Li's forehead, feeling sick knowing that she was to leave them behind. Li was soon placed back on the floor, Ella ruffled her hair a little before straighten out and turning to Tilly. "Take care of them, please?" Her sister nodded with a smile, gently reaching out and rubbing Ella's arm. "Of course I will. Tony is here too so the most that will happen, will be too much ice cream and having tea parties." The girl chuckled at Tilly's comment knowing all too well Tony would do that. "Thanks…" Ella bent down and kissed Sereda on her head before kissing Tilly on the cheek. "I love you both. I'll be home when I can."

Behind them, Li had run over to Tony, diving at him like she would normally. He picked her up and walked into the lounge, chatting to her about upgrading her toy wand. Ella rolled her eyes, that were something she didn't want to be hearing, "… but only if mummy allows it ok." He winked at Li who giggled, knowing all too well that he'd do it without Ella's permission anyway. Ella glanced at her watch, checking the time, she had to be perfect at this or she'd end up in space with no air. Tony bent down, Li still on his hip as he grabbed for an apple from the fruit bowl. He studied it for a moment, a brow raise before shrugging and taking a bite. Ella furrowed her brow as she watched Tony eat the fruit, a fruit she didn't touch that often because they were just horrible. It made her laugh in a way because before her first regeneration she loved apples, ate them every day and now? Apples were just there to look pretty. Blame the father she supposed.

Her watch beeped, it was nearly time. With one deep breath she glanced at her siblings and gave them a warm yet highly unsure smile, "Right, Tony… do not get in trouble when I'm gone. Tilly, be safe and look after the girls please..." She glanced down at her time vortex manipulator, seeing the green light by the screen flickering. She tapped in the coordinates; the numbers had been playing on her mind for sometime now. "Ella, if you get in any trouble, don't hesitate to call for us ok?" Tony needed her to know that no matter where she was in all of time and space, they were still here for her. "Of course, what's the point of having you all here if I can't call on you?" She chuckled softly before letting a tear roll down her cheek, "I love you all." She murmured before hitting the button required. 


	3. Two Years Gone

Chapter 3: Two Years Gone  
The Vortex was a bumpy ride, the Doctor flailed around to the other side of the console before yanking down a lever, "Woah girl! I know what you're thinking but it needs to be done!" He slammed into the railing behind him as the box spun violently within the vortex. "Just one blasted trip please!" He begged with his time machine, he just needed to get out of the vortex so he could get the shields back up. He growled as he glanced up at his scanner, seeing that he was about to pass by Jupiter.

"Hit the red button, she'll come out of it with ease." The Doctor glanced up to see his daughter standing by the ramp out of the TARDIS. "Oh you beauty!" He did just that, his slender fingers pressing the button as he grinned madly at Ella. The box came to a shuddering halt; the calmness was what he needed. "Right, now that's over…" He paced around to the side Ella was on, "Shields up!" He called out, the voice activation systems kicking in as he twirled on the spot to face his daughter, "Well, well well! Lookie you!" He held his arms out, Ella pulled off her bow and arrows before going to him and hugging her father tightly. "Hey dad, been a while don't you think?" The Doctor kissed Ella on the forehead before putting her at arms length, still grinning. "Yes, what has it been? A couple of months?" 

Ah, for him possibly, to her… a year or two.

Ella grinned at him, "Yea… something like that." She chuckled softly before reaching up and straightening her father's bow tie. "It's nice to see you're still as mad as ever." The Doctor laughed, letting go of her and glancing her up and down. There was something odd about her, different maybe? "Are you… pregnant?" That was often the first thing to say to any girl he had not seen in awhile because last time Amy had told him countless times she was pregnant before he finally asked her if she was expecting. Such a fool.

Ella scoffed, playfully punching his arm, "God no!" She rolled her eyes at him before strolling up to the console, her fingers brushing against it. Her father looked on as she paced around the room; he now knew what it was that was different now. The uniform. "Have you come back from a job for Hydra?" He narrowed his eyes at her, taking in the red lining that ran along the seam of one arm. Last time he had seen that uniform, Ella was killing for them due to a breakdown she had suffered. "No… I'm clean, have been for about two years now." She didn't look at him as she hid behind the console. "Actually this is a modified uniform, if that is what you mean. No rank badges on it, no logo…just plain red and black uniform that I can work in." Finally she peered round at him and smiled a little, hoping he would not push further. "Two years? That's good, I'm proud of you." Where had he been in these two years?! He strolled over to her, eyes on his daughter the whole time. "Thanks, it's been nice to not have to worry about a certain somebody showing her face around here." Ella tapped the side of her head; her father knew exactly whom his daughter was on about.

Pandora had many of a time shown up when Ella's anger had reached boiling point, when she needed protection and when it was time to kill her father. Of course, now it was all different because Ella had found away to control her. 

_A year ago: _

_Black, that's what they were. The darkest there was, the type of black that if it surrounded you then you would not be able to see your own hand before you very eyes._ _Her lips curled up into a smirk as she stood there, her dagger in hand, her knuckles burning white as the grip was so deathly upon the handle. "Pandora…" He murmured as he stared at the girl that looked like his daughter, but he knew deep down that it was not her. "Don't do this. She's my daughter please!" The Doctor begged so hard with Pandora as he stared up at her.  
Ella's once brown hair was now turning ginger, her pale skin becoming freckled across her cheeks. She was taking the full transformation into the demon that resided within her. "It's too late, her body, her mind it's all mine and I am so, so sorry Doctor but it's my job." She took a step closer to him as he lay on the floor, trying to scramble back from her. _

_Tears slipped down his cheeks, the ache in his hearts was tearing him apart. "Ella! Please you have to fight her! You have to make Pandora see that she will die no matter if she kills me or not! Please!"  
Pandora's eyes were wide, she paused as she stood over the Doctor. "What did you just say?" Her jaw tightened, a cruel situation before her.  
"Pandora, I know how you feel, what you're thinking. Your job, your soul… it's only for their gain. You are too dangerous for them to handle, once I am dead then you'll go after them for stealing your body." Her black eyes stared down at him, every thought she had been thinking and now suddenly the Doctor knew them? True, she was going to do her job here before returning back to HQ and kill Darcyl, to kill Red Skull… shut down Hydra entirely. However she was struggling to kill the Doctor, to take the life of an incredible man who had done so much for the world she lived in. If anything, over the years that she had known him, she had slowly fallen from him. How can you kill the person you are in love with?_

_The Doctor stared up at Pandora, he sensed she was contemplating on whatever she had planned to do to him. "I am supposed to rip your hearts out, shred you up so you can never return and I…. I can't do it." Her jaw muscles were tight; her fingers loosened the grip on the dagger as she stood there in sudden silence. The Doctor, noting that she was not moving, scrambled back and up onto his feet. He brushed himself down and ran a hand through his hair as he watched her. The tear tracks were still upon his cheeks, he couldn't wipe them away for they would only be replaced once more. _

"_I know Pandora but I need my daughter back. You don't have to do this anymore, you can just sleep for eternity and never have to do this any more." The Doctor wrung his hands together a little, almost praying that she'd listen. "But they promised me this body." Pandora murmured. She had not wished to die in the first place, to have her soul rammed into the spare heart of an alien simply because the organisation knew that the energy of the regeneration was worth too much. The Doctor reached out, suggesting that she hand over the dagger to him. "They lied to you Pandora…" They had, Darcyl had told the Doctor to his face that once the Doctor was dead then they would take the body of his daughter in for harvesting as well, to collect the golden energy. _

"_No… No do not lie to me Doctor, not you of all people." The black stare still set on him as a tear slipped from the darkness and across those freckled cheeks. "I'm not, for once I am not. Pandora, please give me the blade and I can help you." He held his hand out to the girl, making sure he kept his eyes on her, ready for her to fight back. Pandora shook her head, "They'll kill me if I do not do my job." She almost whispered. "Please Pandora… please I am lost without my little girl."_

_Pandora furrowed her brow at him, he always said that his Little Pond was the most important thing to him. "Lost?! What of me then?! I gave up a lot to save you countless time… I loved you!" She grabbed him by the collar and pinned him against the wall of the TARDIS. "I know you do! I know you did all you could to fight against the orders of your people! Pandora you are not this, you are not a killer!" The Doctor tried to make her see this, to make her understand that in fact Pandora was a victim here too just as much as Ella or him. He gently reached up and placed a hand on her cheek, his thumb stroking against her skin. _

_Pandora almost gasped at this reaction, she had not expected him to care at all. "Now, I am sorry that you have to suffer this. You did not deserve to be stolen from your beautiful body." The Doctor stared Pandora in the eye, seeing a flicker of colour. A flicker of green. The blackness of her eyes faded into emerald, the colour of Pandora's natural eye colour. "You think me beautiful?" Her fingers loosened on his collar for a moment. Had he told her that with truth to his words? Had he said only to stop her from killing him? No, she wasn't going to listen to him or was she? "Yes, I have seen your true form and I know that you were a stunning girl, so innocent." _

_He pressed his forehead against hers. "But it's time you rested, it's time you let go and gave back my little girl. Please." His final word was barely heard as it passed his lips with as a breath. "I can't let you go though." She murmured as she nestled her cheek against his hand. "I know it's because you love me and if I were not married, that you had your own body, I would have made you mine in a heartbeat but it cannot happen. I need my daughter." Pandora's emerald eyes turned to the floor, her hand grasping the hand he had on her cheek. "You would… make me yours?" The Doctor nodded instantly to her question, seeing that there was a chance to get his daughter back. "Pandora, you have to believe me."_

_"I do…." She murmured, her gaze trailing back up to meet his, "… that's all I needed to hear. I think I can rest knowing I am loved." That was the key, the need to be loved and she'd rest for an eternity. The green began to fade a little to the sea blue that Ella's eyes were. "You are, I promise." The Doctor pressed his lips to her forehead as his daughter slowly but surely returned. Ella's body slumped a little, the weight of holding Pandora's form was too tiring. "Ella! Ella it's ok Pond, I've got you." The Doctor wrapped his arms around his daughter, his lips pressed against her cheek, kissing her in relief. "You're safe now."_

Present day:

"Ah yes, no peep from Pandora then?" Her father asked as he turned back to the console, his eyes catching sight of his daughter's weapons in the corner. He never wanted her to grow up in the midst of war and fighting but he never had a say in it. Maybe it was for the best? At least now she knew how to defend herself if there ever rose an occasion to do so. "No… not since you told her that you…" It was odd, hearing her father say he loved her knowing he was talking to the demon within her.

"She's loved by the man she wanted to give her heart to. It's enough for any girl to rest for the next few years." 

"Yes, until I screw up again"

Ella shook her head a little as she watched her father fiddle with a few levers here and there. "No you won't, dad it's fine, ok?" She strolled up to his side and placed a hand on his arm. The Doctor glanced up at his daughter and smiled a little, "Ella, you are too amazing for the universe." Ah dear, dad was on the lovey dovey path again. Ella knew he loved her dearly but sometimes he showed it a little too much. "Dad stop it, you'll make me blush," She winked at him before letting go of his arm and waltzing off to the other side of the console.

The Doctor watched her as she walked off, a small fatherly smile upon his face. It wasn't often he would see her in such a good mood but then again he suspected that she had not seen him in a few years. That was something he found odd because he made sure he had seen her at least once a month. "Ella, how old are you?" One way to keep track of their timelines other than their journals Ella supposed. "Seventy-three," Ella replied in an instance, "Why do you ask?"

"You act as if I haven't seen you in a while." The Doctor furrowed his brow as he worked on the scanner, searching for something. "How old are you then?" Ella peered around the centre tubing of the console at her father. "It seems I have not quite lived those two years like you have yet. I'm still 1255." That was the age she had seen him when they went for the trip to Darlum Gates in the in the solar system of Zron exactly two years ago. "Ah, so you saw me, what, a month ago?" The Doctor nodded, exactly a month since he had last seen his daughter and it had been a good day. "So why now? Why have you appeared in my TARDIS after a year of not seeing me?" 

Ella didn't want to tell him, in fact she couldn't because she was now acting as his future in a way. She turned her attention to the console edging, her fingers dancing across it with ease. "I had a letter from a stranger; the coordinates were for this very point in all of time and space." A simple shrug was given to her father.

Odd. How did anyone know where he was going to be at this time, not even he knew. "Right. So you just used your mother's time vortex manipulator to hop on over here, back two years and half way across the solar system?" That was his girl, always ready to do anything for her daddy.

"Yes, two years back. Half way across the solar system and even broke through that rather aggressive vortex tunnel you were in. Genius, do you not think?" She curtsied with a grin on her face as her father laughed. "I am impressed but then again that was just a minor shift that even I could have coped with." He waggled a finger at her then winked. "So, another question Pond!" He tapped the screen of the scanner as Ella came around to his side. It amused her that he still called her Pond even though she was now a Lokison. "Yes father?" She rested against the console, arms folded loosely as she glanced at him, "Go on."

Her father smirked a little, not looking at Ella as he tapped away at the scanner. "You bought along your archery gear, the best set you own. You also have that emerald encrusted dagger that your mother gave to you for your twentieth birthday sitting in your leg garter…why?"  
Ella's hand instantly rested upon the hilt of her dagger as he mentioned it, nothing ever got past him. "If I told you that I was on my way back from training would you believe me?"

"No because you're also wearing the Hydra uniform that has had its badges ripped from it. Your training suit is actually purple like your slacks for work on Asgard." Ella hated when he did that, decipher everything about her. Finally the Doctor glanced at her, eyebrow raised.  
Ella let out a sigh of annoyance purely because he wouldn't stop until she told him what was wrong. "I'm working a job."

"A job?! Ella you told me you was cle…!"

"Not for Hydra." Ella cut him off in an instance, correcting his thoughts before he could even say them. There was no way she was going to have her father give her a lecture knowing she'd done so well. "Not for Hydra?" Her father repeated her words, confusion in his voice. Ella nodded, eyes staring off into nothingness as she stood there trying to think of something to say that would be truthful but wouldn't give away his future. "I think it was mum's hand writing." Her gaze trailed over to her father, there was sadness in her eyes because she had seen words in the letter that neither of them would ever want to hear or touch ever again. "River? You think your mother would send you out on a mission that required your weapons?" He turned to her fully, arms folded in a defence. "No What I am saying is that she thinks you are in trouble and I'm the only one that can protect you."

"Protect me from what?! Ella your mother is no longer alive remember." He hadn't meant for it to come out so harshly but he just didn't understand.

"Dad you just have to trust me, I know!" Ella scowled at him seeing the anger in his eyes at what she had just said. "For once in your life instead of saving me or forcing me to trust you, just do this for me please!" The silence fell between them, it was one that could make a person breakdown but these two were warriors. The Doctor finally gave in though, how could he say no to his blue eyed treasure. "Fine. Do you know where we are going now?" He sighed softly before turning back to the star filled scanner. "I have no idea but I do know that we'll no doubt be going out on a trip." Ella smiled brightly at him, hitting a few buttons beside her hip. "What about Pluto? I hear it's not just a rock." A chuckle left her lips as she waltzed around the console, twirling here and there. "Pluto? No, no, no! I have somewhere far better!" The Doctor grinned at her before slamming a lever down. "Go change! We're going to a ball!" He winked at his daughter, knowing all too well that she loved to dance, heck that was one of their first ever trips. The 1920's in London at a dance hall and even though he had no idea he was her father at the time, the Doctor couldn't help but smile proudly as he watched Ella glide across the dance floor.  
"A ball? Sounds fine by me!" Ella laughed as she began to head to the hallway. However the Doctor stopped her, grabbing her wrist and tugging his daughter into his arms. "I'll always trust you Ella, do not ever doubt that." And with those words whispered into her ear, the Doctor let go of Ella, returning back to the console.  
The sudden hug shocked Ella a little but she went with it anyway simply because it comforted her father in a way. Ella stepped back from him and head off to her room to change.


	4. An Old Foe

Chapter 4: An Old Foe

Her fingers curled around her bunched up hair, tying the raggedy old bowtie within it before letting her locks fall over one shoulder. Ella leaned forward and checked her make up was decent, her lipstick still red and the black line that ran along the edge of her eyelids was still perfect. She ruffled her fringe a little, letting it curl against her forehead. A soft smile came to her lips as she turned to grasp her regular, floor length dress from the hanger. Grasping it in her hands, she tugged the dress on and slipped on a white cardigan. You could never be too sure if it was going to be warm or not and considering she was still processing her Gallifreyan DNA, she hadn't quite received the ability to be immune to the temperature like her father.

Finally all she needed to do was place her jewels on to complete the look. First, her wedding ring was checked to make sure it was secured on tight enough so that it didn't slip; secondly the Clarone Diamond necklace was placed around her necklace as Ella admired the alien gems glitter in the lighting of her room. The earrings went on next, ones that matched her necklace before she slipped on three square, blue gemmed encrusted bracelets onto her right wrist with the pearl and swallow bracelet while her silver watch sat on the left.

With a final check of herself in the mirror, Ella smiled slightly and turned to find her father in the door way. He had his arms folded across his chest, a stupid grin on his face as his fringe fell in his eyes as he leaned against the door frame. "You look so much like your mother when you dress up like this." He chuckled softly, he was so proud to see his daughter looking so beautiful. "Oh shush dad, you'll only make me blush," Ella laughed as she curled a strand of hair around her finger so it would sit right.

She glanced up at him and grinned brightly as before gesturing to the hallway to her father. "I see you are wearing the set that Narfi got you for Christmas." The Doctor pointed out, seeing the gems sparkle against his daughters red dress. "Yes, I still cannot believe you took him to Clarone just to pick up one of the rarest diamonds in the entire universe, must have cost a fortune!" Ella was still a little angered with this small fact considering she was never one for material items. "Forget how much it cost, just enjoy it Pond." Her father laughed as he turned to head back to the console room, his daughter trailing on after him.  
She had noticed he was now in suit, a top hat and a cane to boot. It was nice to see him dress up like this from time to time as it made a difference from the deep purple jacket and the blue shirt.

Back in the console room, Ella leaned against the railings as she waited for her father to bring the TARDIS into land, the journey a tad rickety as he tried to steady the old girl out. A few curses were heard under the Doctor's breath as the blue box was lunged to its left before finally touching down and falling silent except for the low hums of the machine. Ella had sort of fallen into the railing she was against, her hair slipping a little from the bow so once the blue box had finally landed she was now instantly fixing her hair. An old habit that she had gained while working on Asgard, first impressions counted. "All under control!" Her father shouted out to her as he too slammed into a railing before getting to his feet, "It seems she wasn't too fond of that little landing!" He laughed, rushing to the console and hitting a few buttons. Finally the Doctor swung round to face his daughter and pointed to the door behind her. "Come along Pond!"

That was a phrase he wished he could say more often, he was just pleased he had his daughter in his life because it gave him reason to say it once more. On the other hand it was a tad painful, all those memories with his sweet Amy and now he had lost all of that. At least his daughter gave him back what he once lost. Ella chased him out the TARDIS, making sure her dress did not catch on her patent heels as she followed her father. "So this ball, where is it?" She questioned him as her father stepped out into what she thought was the sun beating down on them.

The Doctor glanced up at the street light above him and smiled a fraction before turning to his daughter and offering up his arm to her, "London at the Queen's palace. Victoria has the one or two parties and as seen as I have a different face than before, she won't know it is me and want to cut my head off." Ella raised a brow at him, mouth open a little, "Excuse me what?! And also... I thought we were going to the 20's?!"

Her father shrugged and tugged her towards the palace doors, "Long story, plus the TARDIS may have malfunctioned." The Doctor pouted a little as he glanced round. Bloody typical, guess this will do.

Inside the great palace, the sheer size of it shocked Ella, the stunning beauty that rained down upon her; the gold that embossed the walls glittered in the sun light that beamed in. For an era of dirt and grim, this place was perfect. Her arm tightened around her father's as they walked along, her father pulling out his psychic paper every now and then in order to keep their presence undetected. "So who are we acting as this time?" Ella queried as she fixed her dress slightly.

The Doctor couldn't help but grin such a stupid grin as he glanced at his daughter from the corner of his eye every now and then. She was simply stunning, hated the fact she was growing up and above all like any father would be, he was proud to show her off to the world. No matter how scarred she was, no matter her problems, her past or her future, the Doctor loved her to pieces. "We are…" He took a peek at his psychic paper and smirked, "… oh dear lord!" He rammed the paper into his pocket and huffed while Ella raised a brow at him, "Well?"  
"Married. King of France and his lovely wife…" He rolled his eyes with great frustration.

Ella laughed at her father's reaction to the people they were impersonating, "Father you really should treat things with great care because seriously, they only end up making it harder for you." She lightly patted his arm lightly with a grin as they came to the huge ball room. The Doctor furrowed his brow and sighed, noting the Queen herself was now eyeing him with great curiosity. "I shall make you aware of it right now, we are speaking with French accents, thanks to the…"

"The TARDIS? Yes I know father." She laughed, as they made their way towards the throne where they were to bow before the Queen. "Alright show off," The Doctor smirked as he bowed, glancing at his daughter. "I take after my father," Ella replied in the most mischievous voice she had come to claim.

"And you may be?!" Victoria herself asked as the pair straightened up to look at the great Queen of Britain. "The King of France and this is my wife…" He gestured to his daughter on his arm, "… Princess Antoinette your majesty." Ella curtsied as well she could before her. This was the most awesome thing she had done in recent years.

Queen Victoria was suspicious of the Doctor the whole night, wondering if he really was who he claimed to be but then again it was the first time she had met the King of France since coming to the throne. "She's onto me…" The Doctor whispered as he passed Ella on the dance floor, twirling between partners as they made their way towards each other once more. "So paranoid sweetie," Ella couldn't help but wind her father up as they danced a beautiful waltz.

The Doctor scowled at her as he grasped her around the waist, the other hand grasping hers. "Look, all I am saying is if she finds me out then she'll cut my head off!" Oh how easily flustered he could get, of course though he had forgotten that the Queen now was a younger version of herself so she would not know of him just yet.

Ella spun on the spot as guided by her father before coming back into his grasp. "Are you going to complain all night because I will do a Cinderella on you and run away." A chuckled escaped them both at the thought, "And I will always come running to find you again." He tapped her on the nose lightly before pulling her close, "Because fathers don't abandon their little girls." If only he had kept to that.

Ella snuggled against her father as they danced, eyes scanning the crowd with nothing more than a few glances here and there. However something caught her eye, forcing her hearts to take a break in the beating pattern they owned. Her father noted her sudden change in pulse and glanced at her, "Everything ok?" He murmured softly in her ear, feeling her tense up.

Her eyes were set on a face in the crowd, the very one that haunted her dreams. How was he here, how was he haunting her life while she took her waking steps. Her head shook a little in response to her father's question. Her fingers tightened their grip on him, trying to force herself to speak, "Darcyl…" Her voice was ragged as she spoke, breathless in fact. The Doctor's jaw tightened, his eyes flittered down at her, "Where?" He murmured but it seemed his daughter was struggling to even breathe right now.

Darcyl smirked as he prowled through the crowd that resided on the dance floor. His eyes were latched onto the girl that had escaped him a thousand times and here she was, his for the taking. It seemed everything was falling into place for him and the people he had gone to for help. If he gave them the Doctor then he'd finally get Ella and bring back Pandora.

The Doctor twirled her daughter before pulling her close once more and turning to see if he could scan the crowd for Darcyl. He wasn't much of a fighter but if he could work alongside Ella, then they'd make the perfect team as always. He kept his hand in the small of Ella's back as he used his other hand to search around in his pockets for his sonic. "What are you doing?" Ella murmured, a little agitated at her father's actions. "Getting my sonic screwdriver, why?" he glanced at her with his stupid grin plastered across his face once more.

Ella side stepped, to hide what her father was doing from prying eyes as she noted Darcyl's every movement. "He's watching us, he knows we are here," She sounded incredibly worried, her hearts were racing and yet for the Doctor himself he seemed as calm as anything right now. He'd dealt with Darcyl countless times and in all honesty he wasn't giving up this time. He was here to give his daughter a life of smiles before she was to go to hell.

Darcyl circled the outskirts of the array of dancing couples; in fact he was already making his way towards the queen as she watched over the night's events. The Doctor wondered what Darcyl was up to; after all he was not of this time so what had he got up his sleeve this time? "He's heading towards the Queen," Ella kept her voice low and close to her father's ear as the Doctor in turn, tugged out his sonic and scanned Darcyl.

Thankfully these songs could last for a while, not like the modern stuff that his daughter occasionally enjoyed while they worked on the TARDIS. Ella suddenly grasped her father's jacket, she didn't want to swap partners for the next ten minutes but if she didn't want to look suspicious then she had no other choice. The Doctor on the other hand urged her to do what needed to be done, even if it meant a change of dance partners.

As Ella slipped into the arms of another man, a fake smile that hid his worry and fear behind bedazzling blue eyes, the Doctor began to work on studying the results of what he received back from his old enemy. As a woman was suddenly slung into his arms, the top of the sonic popped up which forced him to rest his had on the woman's shoulder so he could frantically read it. "A-ha!" He exclaimed as he noted the results.

It seemed that Mr Jones here was still from modern days, still from 2013 and still coated in those rather odd looking particles. It reminded him when U.N.I.T took him in and both Cybermen and Daleks were coated in similar particles. That was a thought he rammed to the back of his mind because that day he had lost someone he truly loved. "What the hell are you Darcyl?" He huffed as he pushed the woman to another free handed man and walked off the dance floor, his eyes glued to the sonic. Ella had noted this and took off after him, leaving a rather confused gentleman to stand there on his own.

"What is it?" She knew that look on her father's face all to well as his eyes glanced up and met his daughter's. "He seems to be travelling through some form of dimension; a lot of them all in one go. It's… odd." He narrowed his eyes at his sonic while Ella tilted her head a little, "Odd how?" The Doctor glanced up at his little Pond and grinned, "Odd as in he is everywhere and anywhere."

She glanced over her shoulder to see Darcyl pacing their way and honestly she didn't like how close he was getting. "He's not time travelling, you've already established that, he is also not alien or immortal…" Her eyes widened a little, "He's not another Clara is he?"  
The Doctor slowly turned to Ella and grinned his maddest grin he had ever grinned before planting a kiss on her forehead, "He only knows his goal in life, to get us. Ella you maybe onto something!" He let go of her before running straight towards Darcyl.

Bizarre, the man was running towards him and in all honesty he had not expected that. His hand went for the sheathed sword on his hip and grasped it tightly. The Doctor skidded to a halt not far from the Hydra agent, "Do not unsheathe here, you want us then do it outside but there is just one thing I need to know before you go killing us." The Doctor spoke fast because one wrong move and Darcyl would become incredibly moody and he hated that.

Actually, the agent was far from angered, in all honesty he was confused and had no idea whether to slay him where he stood or let the Doctor talk. "I… what?"  
"Do you remember anything from your past life?" Darcyl shook his head as he raised an eyebrow at the Doctor, "What has this to do with me getting Pandora? What are you even on about… past lives?!" God he wanted to just punch the Doctor in the face right now. "Yes past lives, you pop up all the time and honestly it is bugging me on how you do it. If you don't remember it then I have the advantage. Darcyl you Irish agent! I love it when you are such a ball of fun!" The Doctor laughed and lightly punched his arm, "Hey? Hey? Am I right?" Darcyl clenched his jaw as the Doctor punched his arm, "Advantage? You are unarmed… I am not."

Ella was making her way through the crowds of people, spotting the guards standing around where they were needed, guarding the Queen at all times. Maybe if she caused a distraction then they could break free and head back to the safety of the TARDIS. This proved to be easy though because Darcyl had drawn his sword that made people flee around them, leaving a rather awkward Doctor facing off at him. "Ah see now that isn't fair because all I have is my sonic screwdriver… it only puts cabinets together." He waggled the sonic in his hand as he watched the sword being drawn with rather panicked eyes. Darcyl clamped his other hand around the hilt of his weapon, preparing to swing once and slice the Doctor's head off in a flash.

This caught the attention of every guard in the room, forcing some to dive over to the Queen and demand she be removed from the room, others were guiding people out and the remaining few closing in on the pair of men that stood centre of the room. Ella on the other hand began to make her way round the edge of the room so she could be behind Darcyl. In moments she was tugging her dagger from under her dress and readying herself to fight him.

"You see Doctor, you should learn from your little girl," His arrogant Irish accent rung out in the halls, Darcyl had quite clearly noted that the guards were drawing nearer with each passing moment. "Carry a weapon because one day you might need it!" He swung down, the Doctor yelped and dived to one side, unaware that his daughter was ready to go in for the kill.

The Queen was wide eyed as she was tugged from the throne by four men, her guards, "Unhand me you fools! You should be stopping those two!" She pointed at Darcyl and the Doctor who had now picked a sword from the wall for protection. The swords chinked with each hit against each other, the Doctor trying to desperately hold him off while his eyes searched out his daughter's whereabouts because she would be handy round about now.

Ella was biding her time, waiting for the right moment when her father wasn't flailing about and Darcyl was clearly unaware of her presence but instead, delving into the fight by giving his whole attention to it. "Jones! You really should reconsider…" The Doctor was cut off mid sentence as his foe's sword came down and clanged against the marbled floor due the Doctor diving out of the way once more. On all his adventures, this was by far the only one that the action started moments after arriving.

"Reconsider Doctor?! Well it seems Miss Pandora herself has found she is recently struggling to do her job, thought I'd give a hand." Another swipe and the Doctor froze to the spot as his eyes slowly watched a snippet of his fringe gently flutter to the ground before him. Oh that was not on! "That was my hair!" The Doctor exclaimed with great frustration on his face. Darcyl smirked at the reaction he received but little did he know that by relishing in this minor thing, it made him vulnerable to Ella.

It took a while for anyone in the room to figure out what the sound of clicking was or even where it was coming from. In moments Ella had cleared the dance floor and grabbed Darcyl's throat before pressing the blade to his smooth skin. "Drop the knife buddy or I rip your throat open." Her hiss echoed out, all the men around them were wide eyed and in shock as they witnessed such speed and elegance from a lowly girl.

Oh Darcyl did yelp with great joy as he felt the cold hint of the blade pressed against his throat, daring to shred his jugular to pieces. "Wooo! Finally the little girl decides she wants to play. How is that broken little mind of yours, I really hope Pandora is enjoying her stay because soon she'll be walking this earth and you can't stop her." He struggled under Ella's grip but that was it, nothing more, it was just a simple show of his sudden excitement.

Ella snarled against the soft skin of his ear, teeth bared as she held him there, "You and I both know I am stronger, do not fight or I will cut you." Darcyl smirked, the evil glint flickering in his eyes as he grasped at Ella's arm. He had no intention in moving, just the want to wind up the pair of them with words. The Doctor raised his sonic and scanned him as his daughter had a hold of him. The sonic gave readings once more of those unusual particles, the sign of dimensional travel to a degree.

Darcyl narrowed his eyes at the Doctor, hearing the sonic whir out in its usual tone. He had a curious notion to what the Doctor was doing but daren't say a word in case they tried to get anything from him. "Ma'am put the knife down and step away from our lieutenant!" Ella's eyes widened at the command given by the guards. So Darcy boy here was working for the Queen? She didn't like the thought as she glanced at her father, "He's one of them?"  
"You seem surprised darling," Darcyl responded in a flash because seriously, who could pass up the opportunity to wind them up even more so.

The swords were at a ready, every single one of them aimed at Ella. Her blue eyes darted around the room, figuring out tactics in seconds because no way was she going to fight all this stupid in one go. If she rammed Darcyl towards the men in front that would give her time to fight off the ones behind her. "I suggest you stand down! How dare you bring your French monarchy traditions and distasteful manners into my palace?!" Queen Victoria hissed with great anger on her face, her fingers grasping her skirt of her dress a little to prevent her tripping up. The Doctor spun to face her and grinned like the idiot he often chose to be, "Ah see now, ma'am, your majesty, your highness…." The Queen raised a finger to his lips and shushed him.


	5. The Great Escape

Chapter 5: The Great Escape

The Doctor's eyes trailed down to the finger that was pressed against his lips, a brow rose as he tried to understand why he was being silenced by the majesty herself. "I didn't even invite the French to my ball because it is not the International ball until summer, so why you are even here is beyond me!" She then turned to Ella who still had a hold of Darcyl, "And you young lady shall let go of my top guard before I sentence you to death." Ella rolled her eyes sardonically before stepping back, hands raised to show she wasn't going to use her dagger.

"Cuff her." The Queen demanded with great annoyance in her tone as if this had suddenly become quite the hardship on her. This was just not Ella's day. In a flash, guards were grabbing her wrists and tugged them behind her before cuffing her in a flash. "That's my daughter! Let her go!" The Doctor rushed over to his daughter only to be tugged back by Darcyl, "Nope, to the prison with you until you can be executed." He smirked with great pleasure before dragging them off to the cell.

The jail cell was unreasonably freezing; in fact the floor had ice caked across it thus transforming it into the Gallifreyans' own ice rink. "Well isn't this… cosy." Ella sighed as the cuffs chinked with every minor movement that she made. The Doctor patted a wall before sitting down on the wooden bench that protruded from the wall. His hand ran through his hair, lucky for him he had managed to keep a hold of his sonic. "On a scale of one to ten, how much trouble are we in?" Ella questioned him as she tried to fiddle with the cuffs, searching for a way out of them. "About eleven?" He answered with little care because he really thought he'd eve failed to give his daughter a good time. "Dad, why are you so down? Normally you'd be bouncing around and trying to get us out," Ella glanced at her father for a moment, seeing him sitting there with a dead look in his eyes. "I failed you," He simply answered.

Ella blinked a few times at her father, clearly she had missed something in the process of being cuffed to here, "Erm dad lets lay down the law right. We both know that I know what you are doing and honestly you don't have to because you've been a great father." The Doctor scoffed at his daughter's words, shaking his lightly. Ella furrowed her brow before coming over to him and placing her cuffed hands on hi9s knees as she knelt before him, "Dad, please… believe me when I say this."

His eye trailed up to his daughter's, those stunning sea crystals staring back at him. He could remember the day she first opened her eyes, like Amy was the first face this face saw, his was the one that Ella saw first. With Time Lords like him, faces were something of importance when a new one took its place. Ella reached up and ran a thumb across his cheek, as she did this, he gently grabbed her hand and sighed, "It's not that I do not believe you, it is the simple fact that I wish I could have done so much better for you." He kissed her hand before moving it from his cheek, "If it were not for I then you wouldn't be going to your death like a lamb to slaughter." He pressed his head against hers, another sigh escaping him.

Ella hated it when he believed he was no good, a worthless man and even worse, a terrible father. She knew this to be untrue but it was like trying to force a donkey to move from the spot it enjoyed the most. It just wasn't going to happen in all honesty. "Would you stop? You gave me the best things in life, the opportunity to see things I had only ever dreamt about. God, if there was any wish that needed answering then it had been answered when I was twenty one so shush, because you came and bought me what I needed. A family, a life beyond imagination," Her smile grew as she spoke, all those past memories that could let any person die happy swirling around her head.

The Doctor was a tad tearful as he listened to his daughter, he was starting to see how he really had changed her life for her, for the better that was. If he had not shown up when he did then she'd have been dead. He would have lost the last scrap of the Pond family he had left. He kissed her forehead then glanced at her with a small smile, "You may have grown up as Lottie Lake's grand daughter but you will always be my Pond." Ella grinned at him as he added, "And you are always going to be the Doctor's daughter, my little genius." He smiled at her before getting to his feet. Ella didn't care if deep down he didn't believe her but it got him going, got him on his feet to work a way out. The Doctor clapped his hands together and tugged out his sonic screwdriver. "Let's get you out of those and then out of here!" He grinned manically as he aimed the sonic at her wrists, letting the green light shine and the sonic to whir at full frequency to manipulate the lock.

A few moments of fiddling with slightly rusted metal, the lock finally clicked and allowed the chains to fall to the concrete ground at Ella's feet. "You know, there is something rather sexy about being locked up in chains while dressed like this," Ella muttered to herself, gosh if only Narfi was here to see this, he'd have a field day. "Ella! Please I don't need to hear about your… fantasies," He waved the sonic at his daughter before turning to the prison bars that kept them captive. He tapped his fingers against them, a soft chime echoing out before he aimed the sonic at it, "Should be out in a jiffy… huh, Jiffy. Love that word, it sounds… like Jaffy, like Jaffa cak…"  
"Dad, the bars already," Ella laughed softly as she gestured to the gates before them, she wasn't exactly dressed for this sort of thing.

"Of course," He waggled the sonic once more before letting out the high pitched moan of the sonic screwdriver. Soft mutters and mumbles were heard from the other side of the cell where Ella had plucked her sonic screwdriver from her bra and began to take mineral results from the bars on the window. She didn't often use her own because it upstaged her father's; she preferred to keep him happy. Eventually the blue light blipped a few times to notify her that the results were logged and recorded. According to her sonic, everything was regular old brick and metal that had them encased, of course that was until her father exclaimed rather abruptly.

Ella nearly jumped out of her skin at her father's exclaiming over the bars. Ella spun on the spot to face him, her own sonic being shoved back in her bra before she quick stepped on over to him. "I knew it; I thought it was just me!" He pushed open the gate and stepped through before gesturing for his daughter to join him.

"What was just you?" Ella queried with much suspicion and curiosity to what her father was talking about.

The remarkable reflex of her father forced the sonic into Ella's hand before he began to fiddle with his jacket, "Look! Look at it!" Ella's eyes were filled with a green glow as the sonic was shoved her way. She began to study what the Doctor had found, "I don't follow."

"I scanned Darcyl earlier and found he was coated in these rather odd purple looking particles, as if he had travelled through dimensions. I then pressed my hand against the bar to see if any slipped from me to the bar, nothing came off of me." He snatched the sonic back and began to walk out of the hallway that held the prison they were in.

"And that made you exclaim why?" Ella gave chase after him, keeping up with long strides that he was taking to get wherever he was going. Back to the TARDIS no doubt. "You see Ella; those are the particles of a dimension that I know not of." He wagged a finger in the air, "As you are aware, parallel worlds leave atoms attached to the body, thus allowing that body to be pulled into a void when near one. You see these are a tad different, you can see them without 3D glasses, in fact you can see them with a simple frequency adjustment of the sonic, which is what I did back in the ballroom." So her father had figured out that Darcyl was jumping through dimensions? But why, actually a better question, how was he doing this because there was no way he had the brains or the technology to figure it out. Maybe he was working for someone with that knowledge but that seemed far too fetched.

As they glided down the hall, making sure to avoid the guards and anyone else who worked within in the palace, the Doctor went on to tell Ella his theory. "You see each dimension holds different types of particles, like dirt on planets, always different, and always holds different minerals." Ella nodded a little as she took it all in; she hadn't quite got to learn about the subject of dimensions. "So are you saying he is carrying 'dirt' particles with every movement through dimensions?"

"Not just that, it tells me where from exactly as well and honestly I have got nothing." He laughed as he pushed open a door and stepped through it. Thankfully there was no one to greet them on the other side. "Nothing? You have nothing, well isn't that a great help," Ella rolled her eyes before adding, "Have you got them logged though? The type of particle, what they contain etc etc?" If they had that, then surely they could put the data into the TARDIS so she could work it out for them.

Another locked door later, a fiddle, a twist and a kick, the pair stumbled out side and onto the green grass of the palace gardens. "Are you telling me that you do that… often?"  
"Dad, it is part of my training. Anyway you told grandma to put me in the best school and it happened to be an archery school. Not my fault," Ella winked at him before glancing around. The Doctor furrowed his brow, a hand running through his hair as his overly active mind was hit by a brick of words.

With hips a swaying as she walked along the edge of a flower bed towards the gravel path. "Come along then dad!" She called out over her shoulder, flicking some hair over her shoulder. The Doctor glanced up and laughed to himself, it amused him that she was so alike him. He began to take up a pace after her. As he joined her side, Ella glanced at him, "So, you never told me, did your sonic log the particles?" The Doctor nodded in reply, "Good because we can get the TARDIS to analyze it." She beamed at him as they passed by a rather odd looking hedge.

Her father blinked at her, god she really was his daughter and he loved that! It meant he could really bounce of her or vice versa. Right now that was what he was doing, "Yes! And chances are she could in a flash, quicker than me! Plus saves me the time of licking them too," Ella burst into giggles as her father mentioned the whole licking fiasco. "Dad your ten is showing," She nudged him playfully before linking arms with him, "Not that I mind but it might be tricky to lick an atom." The Doctor glanced at his daughter and kissed her head, "Of course, leave it up to the TARDIS hey?"

Ella nodded with a small smile on her face, this was what it was all about, their little father and daughter adventures always bought these moments and those are what she lived for, for those times when they shed a smile over simple things.

The TARDIS was rapidly coming into view but Ella was sensing they were not alone. Her hand pressed against her father's chest, pushing him against a bush to his left because there soon followed rapid footsteps, passing by them were a group of men who were shouting commands for them to search well for their escaped prisoners. The Doctor was wide eyed, amazed at how Ella had heard them coming. Once she let go he straightened out his jacket and asked, "How did you… know?" He jabbed a thumb to where the men had just ran past. "Honestly, since jumping aboard the TARDIS, my sense have become more sensitive, I guess you could say that when a man goes to hell, their sensitivity to the supernatural increases, this is my last few hours before hell do you not think?" Ella smiled a little before glancing over at the TARDIS where the dim light from inside lit up the frosted windows on the doors.

That was her home, a home she should have grown up in, a home she should have returned to, the home she longed for every time she was away from it. It was in reach now, fingers were almost able to gently brush along the beautiful wood edging but that fell to pieces in moments. A hand clasped her wrist; her sixth sense had failed to kick in as she was dragged to a mass of flash, a gun to her head. That wasn't right, a gun, a silver one at that, wait that was her gun! "Darcyl," Ella snarled with great resentment towards the guy, "Do you never let up?!"

Her fingers clawed at his wrist, causing grazes to appear in red blotches. Darcyl took in a breath of Ella's sweet scent and smirked, "What is it with you Time Lords, you all smell so sweet, like strawberries," Gosh, this man was a creep and it was starting to really grind at her. "Darcyl, let her go," The Doctor raised his palms to show he was unarmed, he just wanted to get his daughter out of this safely because god knows what would happen if they didn't stick to their fated time lines. Ella shook her head a little, a minor yet silent beg for him to leave it alone.

He wasn't going to give in right now, this was his daughter, his only family and he wasn't letting this man take her from him. He took a step closer but Darcyl shot the ground in front of him, forcing the Doctor to jump back in panic, "Another step and I will aim for your face next time." There was that conceited smirking on his face and damn did the Doctor want to wipe it from his lips. He complied though by staying where he was, eyes wide, "This has gone too far Darcyl, let her go…."  
"Gone too far? Oh you have no idea. Why won't you just die Doctor because seriously, it's becoming quite tiring."

All the while that these two were trying to talk each other out and talk each other in, Ella was using her stealth skills to grasp her sonic from her bra, if she could just get to it then she could use the right frequency to stun Darcyl long enough to break free of his grasp. It was a little distracting to have a gun pressed against her temple every now and then while he enjoyed listening to the sound of his own voice, much like her father did on some occasions. Finally her fingertips grasped the bulb of her sonic screwdriver, edging it out slowly but surely while she every grasped at Darcyl's arm every now and then to make out that she was struggling.

The tip of the sonic felt warm from being tucked away between skin and lace but there was little care for that because she had a hold of it and all she needed to do was select a frequency. Her thumb flicked the button a few times, biting her lower lip before it finally hit the right one. In a flash a high whir was let out, forcing the arm Darcyl had on her to let go of her. The gun fell to the floor, the echo of metal on gravel rang out as the Irish agent stumbled back. "Run!" Ella shouted at her dad as she kicked open the TARDIS door before shoving Darcyl out of the way to the floor.

The clatter of heels and boots sounded out against the gravel as the Doctor rushed to join his daughter's side, his fingers grasping her hand, gun shots rang out. "The HADS are on!" He barked, as Ella tried to get the door open, forgetting that the Doctor could simply snap his fingers to open the doors. "Then we better hurry up and get the door open!" She tugged the key from around her neck and rammed it into the lock, hopefully they could get inside before the TARDIS materialised out of harms reach of gunfire.

Not even seconds into the TARDIS, Ella's dress caught in her heels and forced her flat on her face, the Doctor followed close behind as the doors swung shut behind them as the engines roared into life to move them from harm. Ella began to flail as she felt her father trying to get to his feet, his hands accidentally grasping at her for support but in places he shouldn't be touching. "Get off!" Ella huffed countless times before she managed to push her father off of her.

The Doctor hit the floor, laying on his back and panted softly as he heard his daughter get to her feet. A fluttering sound gently echoed out above the Doctor, a scrap of paper floating down from above him and landed on his nose with ease. He tugged it from his face and furrowed his brow, reading it.

_This isn't over. You have but one choice and one choice only. I get Ella or you both die. Now I know you won't hand her over so I've taken the liberty of taking three of your friends to Trenzalore… now you have no choice.  
Darcyl. _

The Doctor sat up right, eyes wide at the piece of paper as he read it. "Vastra…" He murmured before scrambling to his feet and over to the console. Ella glanced up, a brow raised at her father's sudden flailing to the console, "Something wrong?" She asked as she came around to his side.

The Doctor started to hit buttons blindly before glancing at his daughter and handing the note over to her. Ella took it with much suspicion, how could a note fluster her father to the point that he was pressing the navigation buttons into flight even though the TARDIS had locked down to a new spot far from where they were previously. She glanced down at the scrap of paper and began to read. With each word her hearts stopped, her eyes widened and deep down she knew this was it. This was the moment that her father and she had been waiting for.

The day they went to Trenzalore…


	6. Crash Landing

Chapter 6: Crash Landing

No man should set foot in there. One man in particular should never step onto that dishevelled soil that reeks of the dead, the chaos and suffering of worlds. It is said that in the fields of Trenzalore the eleventh will fall while he watches the blood of a demon spill. It is the same place where two people will meet their fate, a place where no one should go. 

The TARDIS came smashing out of a vortex, sparks and flames rising up and out of the console as the Doctor worked to keep it steady. "The green button!" He shouted out to his daughter on the other side of the console, who did as told and hit the green button. More sparks flew out and caught the pale skin of the Doctor's daughter, forcing a hiss from her lips. Her father rummaged around inside one part of the now open console, the panel flapping about as the TARDIS shook them so hard that even their bones rattled intensely. The Doctor's legs flailed and kicked behind him as he shifted to get right into the centre of the column, his sonic whirring out as he fixed a set of wires up. Once the wires were taut and nothing could break them, the Doctor clambered back out, his hair a mess and oil marks smudged across his broad features. Before he could get a word out, the TARDIS gave another shake which forced him stumbling back into the railings whereas his daughter was slammed into the console.

"Blimey…" He called out once the box had settled, floating in space without any other problems. He clambered to his feet, rubbing his back a little; no doubt he would have a red mark from the pole now. He scrambled around to where his daughter had slumped to the floor, seeing a gash in her forehead. "Hey, hey Ella…" He fell to his knees at her side and gently lifted her chin up so he could study her wound. Ella glanced up at her father, one eye shut slightly as she did so. "Not quite the landing that I had expected." She murmured as her father used his thumb to wipe away the blood that was trickling down her face.

The Doctor pocketed his sonic and in doing so, he removed a handkerchief in order to press to Ella's forehead to stem the blood flow. "We haven't exactly landed. In all honesty we can't land." He pressed the cloth to Ella's skin causing her to flinch a little and snarl softly. Her jaw tightened at the words, maybe now would be a good time to get out of here then? "If we cannot get down there, then we have no need to be here, right?" Wrong, if this was her father's logic they were discussing then there was no way he was just going to simply walk away from this situation. Why? Because he was the Doctor.

"Ella, we have no choice but to go." He mumbled as he finally wiped the rest of the blood away and went on to make sure it needed no stitches. Ella furrowed her brow at him, forcing a few more trickles of blood from her wound. "Dad, after everything we've discussed and you're still hell bent on going there? We'll end up dying!"  
Her father stopped dabbing her wound, letting his head lower and his hand come down from her head. "I know Pond but… it was bound to happen sooner or later." He couldn't look at his daughter for he would only see himself losing yet another Pond, one that he truly held close to him because she possessed the qualities of not only River but of Rory and Amy too. "Dad, I… I can't lose you, not like this." The Doctor didn't want to hear those words, didn't want to think about when the day came he'd have to change face once more. He got to his feet, heading to the scanner, leaving his daughter on the floor.

The handkerchief that her father had pressed to her head was now in her hands so Ella went ahead and dabbed her forehead while she sat there. Her thoughts swirled like a hurricane in her mind, her brain running at a million miles an hour. When the Doctor said it was like having a bunch of scientists on a rollercoaster all screaming 'Weeeeeeeee' in his head, then believe him because Ella was feeling like that right now. Her brain process was so intense that even sometimes she would only get what she had thought a few hours later.

Ella screwed her nose up, deep in thought as the once blue cloth turned a crimson colour, the tint of orange catching in the light. She had found that truly fascinating from such a young age, her blood tinted a slight orange. However, back in her thoughts she was thinking about what lay ahead of them today, what she was about to suffer. "Don't dwell on it." The Doctor murmured from the other side of the console. "If you dwell on it then you won't be in the right state of mind to be useful." Ella knew what he meant by that. If Pandora showed up then she was most certainly screwed. 

She clambered to her feet, grasping the console as she did before finally leaning against it. "I'm fine; I just wish we could fight this." She stared at him, her brow furrowed a little as her father began to press a few buttons and pull a lever or two. The Doctor knew all too well that there was no fighting, heck he had been fighting this day for far too long now and in all honesty he had broken down in Clara's lounge because it meant that it was going to be over soon for him, for this face. His jaw tightened, the pain of giving it all up, giving up his daughter, his wife, the life he had created with this face. No other face was going to get what this one had. After all he couldn't keep having kids every time he regenerated, plus River was…

That was something that hurt deep, thinking about his wife. She was gone, from his grasp, couldn't go back and find her, he couldn't even bring himself to tell his daughter that her mother was dead now because it would crush her. He thought back to the night at Darillium, how he suffered so much when trying to tell his wife that he couldn't lose her without actually telling her that she was going to die. How River gave him news that he thought he'd never hear again, that his best friend was in fact, his daughter, his little Pond. The Doctor rested his head against the scanner; he could have sworn someone had grasped his hand so when he looked up he was met with his blue eyed beauty. "Dad…" The Doctor had found that one word so fake at times, as if it wasn't supposed to be said to him.

When Ella had first started to call him dad, he found it an uplifting word to the point that he slammed a grin on his face but right now he simply looked at his daughter with such sadness. "Can I admit something to you?" Ella rubbed the back of her neck, an expression of nervousness on her face. The Doctor nodded urging her to go on, "I'm scared." There was no tiptoeing around it any more, no more fighting it or pretending that it was never to happen. This was here and now. The Doctor gently grasped her cheek, his thumb stroking against her supple, pale skin. It amazed him still to this day how his daughter was everything like him and River. One thing had amazed him for so long, and that was her eyes were blue, sea blue in fact, as if she had just poured the clear ocean into her eyes and held it there behind glass for the world to admire so how had his little miracle become his?

That didn't matter right now because chances were he may not see her face with these eyes again. "It's ok to be scared, heck even I am." He let out a sigh before pressing his lips to his little girl's forehead. It was as if he was reliving that nightmare when he lost Ella last time. "But we have to fight through this, we have to be strong." That was it; Ella was wrapping her arms around her father, burying her face in his shoulder as he held her tightly. The Doctor could swear he heard his daughter silently crying to herself, the type of crying that they just couldn't prevent from happening. The one only a parent knew about. The Doctor pressed his forehead against his daughter's cheek, wishing he could have done so much more with her and prayed that someone somewhere would hear his wish to stay this face for a bit longer.

Ella bit her lower lip to prevent the tears from flowing down her cheeks, she too was praying that something would thwart fate from coming true but it seemed a useless attempt for they were already travelling down that weary path. Finally she pulled back from her father who instantly grasped both her cheeks and stared right into her blue eyes, "I love you Little Pond but this is not over ok?" Ella nodded in return; she knew it was only over when they were both dead on the fields of Trenzalore. "I know dad, fight until the end?" The Doctor smiled a little at her words, his little warrior. "Right to the end." He planted a kiss on her forehead before letting go of her and waltzing around the console, hitting a last few levers. "Right, if we are going to land then we are going to have to do it differently." Ella raised her brows at her father, such a bouncy man for someone who had seen so much. "But she can't land, she doesn't want to."  
"I know!" He grinned at her from around the console, mad as always. "We're going to fall!"

Ella's eyes widened, her breath caught in her throat while her fingers tightened around the grasp she had on the hem of her shirt. "We are going to what?!" She marched around to where her father stood, blinded by his own madness as he worked to get the TARDIS ready for a drop. "Are you insane?! If you drop the TARDIS from this height then you will smash it to pieces, us included!" Her hand grasped the console as the blue box shook a little. "She'll be fine!" Her father moved a few steps away from Ella before coming to a halt, "Hold on!" He rammed a lever downwards, sending the police box falling through the air at an unimaginable speed.

The GForce inside the TARDIS was so extreme that it literally lifted the pair of them off their feet. Luckily they were holding onto the side railings as they plummeted towards the burning planet of Trenzalore. Ella screamed as she tried to catch her breath but it felt as if the air pressure was crushing her lungs to a crazy extent. Her hearts pounded against her chest as she fought to keep a grip upon the railing. The Doctor on the other hand sounded as if he was producing a war cry from his lips as he tried to reach out for a lever to slow their drop because they were coming in fast. "Arrrgghhh, damn lever!" His fingers brushed against the tip of it, barely gripping it as he tried to stretch even further for it.

With one last swing at it, the Doctor caught it, the lever dropping down and forcing the TARDIS to a dull hum as it hit the floor. As expected, the gravity changed within the blue box and forced the pair of them down into the ground, Ella slamming into the metal flooring and forcing the air from her lungs even more than the GForce had. Once on the floor, Ella clambered to her feet, rubbing her chest. To her right she could hear her father laughing through coughs as he tried to regain himself. "We've landed…" They looked at each other, eyes wide when it finally sunk in that they had landed. 


	7. Trenzalore

Chapter 7: Trenzalore

The Doctor was now on his feet, rushing to the door and swung his head out. He glanced up to see a crack in one of the glass windows of the TARDIS, he reached and ran his finger across it, "Blasted…" He was cut off when he saw what lay before him. Ella came tumbling out behind him, her hand grabbing his arm a little to steady herself. "Blimey, this is Trenzalore?" Ella ran a hand through her curled locks as she stared across the dark land that was set out before her. It was like nothing she had seen before and she had seen the worst of the worst. "Yes…" The Doctor's voice wavered a little, he wanted to cry again, all the pain and loss he had suffered in the past was suddenly piling up on him like cars in an accident. His breath caught in his throat, his hearts drummed with anxiety, palms damp with cold sweat.

Ella's hand slipped down to her father's, noting his hands were coated in cold, sweat beads. His fingers tightened around hers in return. "Are you ok?" Ella glanced up at him, her father glancing down. "I mean it is your own grave."  
"It's yours as well." The Doctor added with a mumble which made Ella swallow hard as she shoved that thought to the back of her head. "I'm a time traveller, we both are. I've travelled more than anyone in the entire universe and, well…." He shrugged a little as the pair of them stood there, still staring out across the deathly land. The place before her was disastrous in all honesty.

The ground dying, gravestones dotted here and there along the path while the sky above them was torn open by streaks of lightening that rumbled through the billowing dense clouds.  
"We have to be careful." The Doctor murmured as he took a step forward, leaving his daughter to think on why he had said that. "Care to elaborate?" Ella questioned.  
"In another words my grave is potentially the most dangerous place in the universe." The Doctor took in a breath as he studied the nearest few graves to him, "Better get moving then." He lightly tugged on his daughter's hand as he guided her between a set of gravestones.

"Is this what I think it is?" She'd seen something like this once before, just after the war over in the Middle East. She knew a battle field graveyard when she saw one. "Yes, it is. Bigger the gravestone, the higher the rank." He gestured to one at Ella's side, coming to a stand just above Ella's shoulder. She nodded as she noted the faded words on the one her father pointed out. "This will be my final battle, here. Both of ours." He couldn't help but keep reminding her but if he didn't say it enough times then he wouldn't accept it… ever.

As they paced along, The Doctor came to a halt, his eyes trailing up to something that did stand out though against the darkness of this world. Both Ella and the Doctor had seen it, both of them had wide eyes and panic pulsing through them at the site. "Is that…" Ella started to say as she studied the huge monument that stood upon the hill before them. The TARDIS monument stood tall above the litter of gravestones that surrounded them, lightening seared across the sky once more. "That's the TARDIS." The Doctor confirmed, staring up at it with great uncertainty. Ella gulped a little, the crack in the window seemed to resemble that like the one her father had made earlier. "The dimensions are seeping out aren't they?" Ella turned to her father, who instantly began to explain. "When a TARDIS begins to die, the dimensions begin to seep out; the bigger on the inside goes out and forces it to grow. That's…"  
"Your future TARDIS." Ella finished off his sentence; she had known exactly what he was talking about as they stood there.

Her legs felt like lead weights, daring to collapse under the pressure. The Doctor felt his daughter sway a little on the spot, so he kept a firm grip on her hand in case she decided to take a swan dive towards the floor. "What else would they bury me in?" He seemed so angered when he spoke, he'd lost all sense and ability to actually hold onto his daughter's hand now as he walked on ahead of her. Ella watched him walk on a few steps ahead of her, wishing somehow her mother was here. River would know what to do, she always knew what to do. 

"Ella…" The young girl spun to face the person who had said her name, the voice so familiar, so … motherly. "Ella, don't say anything, just listen."  
"But… Mum." Tears pricked at her sea blue eyes as she stared at her supposedly deceased mother. "He can't hear me, can't see me. Just you alone can," Ella couldn't believe that her mother was standing before her, she wanted to reach out and grasp River in her arms and sob her hearts out but of course, what mum said went. "Come along then Pond!" Her father called out as he turned to face his ever so still daughter. He furrowed his brow, what in gods name was she staring at?

The Doctor came storming over, "I'm still apart of the psychic field in the TARDIS. Your father is quite the genius." River added, it seemed she had figured away of connecting her spirit up in the TARDIS and have the ability to interact with her own daughter, a bond that not even death could break. "Who are you talking to?!" The Doctor huffed as he came striding over to his daughter. Ella glanced up at him, ready to say something to cover her back only to see her father now staring at something before him. "River…"

It sent tingles through him to see the name written in stone that stood before him. His mouth suddenly became dry and a lump resided in his throat as he choked back tears. Ella watched as the Doctor made his way to her mother's grave side and ran his fingers over the engraved name. "That's not right." Ella murmured as she stood behind her father, eyes glued to the gravestone as she too tried to swallow back tears. "She didn't die here and it wasn't long ago either!"  
"No, no she's been dead for a very long time…" His next few words were silenced. 'To me anyway' he thought as he tried to tear his eyes from the gravestone. Ella glanced at her mother who was still standing at her side, "Oh yes, we never meet in the right order remember." For some reason River found this highly amusing as she spoke but all Ella could do was simply nod a little at this. Ella finally glanced back at her father. "Her grave shouldn't be here though," The Doctor rubbed his hands together as his mind raced at the speed of lightening in order to understand why his wife was buried right upon this very ground.

Ella on the other hand was starting to feel incredibly uneasy as she stood there, staring at her father and the grave that rested in the ground before him. A shiver pulsed through her with ease, as if someone had ran a finger along her back and hit ever nerve they could possibly find. The girl slowly moved her head so she could glance over her shoulder, her eyes widened at the sight she saw coming towards them. Her breath caught in her throat as she turned her whole body to see what it was, her cloak catching on her heels a little, "Dad! Dad we have company." Ella pulled out her sonic and her knife; there was no way she was going to go down without a fight, that's not how she was taught. The well dressed yet faceless creatures ascended on them, a hand raised to grasp at their bodies.

The Doctor straightened up and got to his feet as he too stared at the things before them with wide eyes. He held up his sonic to scan them, to find a weakness but it seemed the sonic was not picking up anything. Ella was having the same issue; all it could do was spark out. The whispers that suddenly echoed out from the men before them, (if you could call them that) was incredibly eerie and enough to put the fear in any man.

'_This man must fall as all men must._

_The fate of all is always dust._

_The man who lies will lie no more._

_When this man lies, it's Trenzalore._

_The girl who's two, he tried to save._

_She'll become theirs inside his grave.'_

The Doctor couldn't believe what he was hearing, what he was seeing. They were talking about his little Pond and it seemed there was no denying what was to come. "Ella you need to start thinking around about now," River murmured in her daughter's ear. She knew that her little girl was just like her father, would start to fiddle with gadgets and not get their thinking caps on. "Trying," She murmured as she began to sonic while her father tapped his against his hand. "Pardon?!" The Doctor glanced at Ella to see she was trying to help. "Ella if that isn't my grave, if I am not to be buried here then what is it?" River encouraged her daughter to think on her toes, to get her thinking at full capacity. "Oh my gosh, Dad if it's not her grave then what would it be?!"

The Doctor turned to face her, blowing air from his cheeks as the men grew closer to them, "I don't know!" He flailed a little before turning back to the ever so nearing Whisper Men. "It could be fake?" River added, yet another subtle hint passed her daughter's way. "Dad! Fake gravestone, think about it. Secret entrance to the tomb!" Ella blurted, her mother was just as smart as her father, it made perfect sense!  
The Doctor turned to his daughter, grabbed her face and planted a kiss to her forehead. "Of course it is! They wouldn't bury my wife out here!" And with that he soniced the gravestone, sending the pair of them flying downwards through the ground. Ella screamed out yet again, another fall and something she was starting to bloody well hate more than she hated a Dalek and she hated them with a passion.


	8. One Way Street

Chapter 8: One Way Street

Their feet hit ground, forcing them to crumple to the floor. Ella furrowed her brow as she found her legs were wrapped up in her cloak. "You should take that off, you'll only get yourself into trouble with it on," The Doctor suggested as he got to his feet and brushed himself down while Ella unwrapped her velvet cloak from her body. "This is pure Asgardian cloth and was very expensive to have made for me. I think I'll leave it on for now," Ella huffed at him as she too finally got to her feet and brushed off dirt and dust from herself. The Doctor shrugged, finding that there were wooden torches dotting the wall. "What is this place anyway?" Ella glanced around, seeing that the tunnel ran for a long way off into the darkness that was barely kept away by the flames on the walls. "Catacombs," Her father replied as he began to make his way down a set of steps, the torch now in his hand as he tried to move bits of cobweb from out of his way.

Ella sighed as she followed on behind him, "Dad, if Mum is gone then… how had I seen her just the other day?"  
The Doctor paused, not looking at his daughter as he rubbed his free hand against the back of his neck, "Long story, Backups." He'd never really told Ella how her mother died, he couldn't stand to relive it all over again. Ella was a tad confused by what her father meant when he said back ups, but then again when was she not confused. River's voice echoed out once more behind Ella, "I guess you never read the journal that was sent to you after I died?" Ella turned to see her mother standing there once more, looking just as calm as she always did. "I saved your father's life but in return gave up mine. However he saved me to the database in the biggest library in the universe, left me like a book on a shelf." Wait, Ella was shocked to hear that because she had seen the love that they had for each other, heck he even took her to the towers of Darillium and that was something he said he would only ever do once. Her dad wouldn't just leave his own wife on a shelf, would he? "He didn't even say goodbye, he just doesn't like endings." River shrugged a little, that small smile on her lips again. Ella narrowed her eyes at her mother, ready to say something back but it seemed there was no time to have conversations with the air as she felt something grab her arm and pulled her back, "Pond come on!" Her father tugged her backwards as a Whisper Man reached to grasp at her arm.

"Run!" They began to run up the corridor, webs grasping at Ella's hair as she tried to move out of the way. The pair of them was breathing heavily as they tried to escape the danger from behind them. Ella glanced over her shoulder, for men who were walking they were pretty fast and she didn't like that idea at all. The Doctor could see a door coming up, he knew for a fact that would keep them back long enough to get far ahead of them. He kicked open the door, dragging his daughter in behind him. However, Ella suddenly felt something grab her hem of her cloak, tugging back on her throat and dared to suffocate her. "Ella!" The Doctor tried to tug on her arm that he had a hold of, a battle of strength between father and enemy. She could feel her father losing the fight so Ella pulled her other hand up that held the dagger and sliced through her cloak which saddened her for she had loved that so dearly.

Once free from the grasp of the danger, the Doctor slammed the door shut behind Ella, the flaming torch falling to the floor as the Doctor pulled Ella into a hug. "You're ok, it's ok Pond." He kissed her forehead before checking her to see if they had harmed her in anyway. Ella on the other hand simply grasped her father, unable to do or say anything. "It's ok, I have you." The Doctor murmured, his hearts beating far too fast than they should have been. He was so close to losing her, what if the Whisper Men were the people Ella would finally fall to? He had not a clue to who Ella would eventually become pet to. He glanced up, his chin resting on Ella's head, eyes still focused on the door, "Yowza…" He murmured as he tried to pull himself together.

Now that there was some lighting available to them in the metal corridor they were in, there was no need for the torch he had stolen from the wall. With hands grasping each others, father and daughter began to head off once more towards a set of metal stairs at the other end of the corridor, running to clamber up them, "We have to keep moving, we need to get ahead of them because I have no idea what they are and not sure how fast they evolve."  
Ella's hand tightened around her father's, a little worried and he sensed that. "That's if they evolve?" Ella prayed to the gods of any world her father decided that they didn't evolve. "Possibly."

They walked on, stairs seemed to appear here and there and steeper every time. "It's a bit of a climb, mind you if I can remember the way." The Doctor would occasionally take note of what was around him, an etching in the wall, a broken roundel or even a few loose wires. "It's been far too long since I was down here," Ella murmured as she tried to keep up with her father. Something was tugging at her though, she felt sick and dizzy, as if the air was being sucked out of the room. The Doctor felt his daughter's fingers loosen around his, causing him to stop and turn to her, "Ella, Ella what's wrong?" His daughter stared blankly at him, as he tried to get something from her, anything even if it was a flicker of understanding in her eyes. However for Ella, things were a lot worse as whispers began to plague her thoughts, her hearing, every inch of her reality.

"_Run from the demon within or you will become theirs when demon blood is spilled on the fields of Trenzalore." _

The words were like a disease, a virus that spread rapidly through out her life and into every crack that had escaped Ella's attention… until now. "The dimensions this far into the TARDIS can make you a bit giddy…" The Doctor began to say as he grasped his daughter and began to drag her to the door. Like a lead weight he tried to get her to walk. "They're coming… they going to…to get me." Ella tore from his grip and stumbled back a little against a fenced wall. The Doctor turned to her, his jaw clenched. "Ella you're fine, they won't, come on," He offered up his hand to her, begging Ella to come with him, to keep moving. "No, no they said to run from the demon…" Ella clasped the chain link fence as she tried to shake the whispers from her head. "Ella the TARDIS is breaking down which means it is going to pick at parts of your head and twist them… we need to go!"

Ella felt sick, she could feel the pain in her throat as she had flashbacks of her facing up to Pandora, every moment and every argument hitting her. "You will die Ella and I will be there to watch." Those black eyes staring back at her from the mirror, that night her father had managed to bring the girl from a dream state…  
"Ella, what is it? What's wrong?!" He grabbed her hands, forcing her too look at him, but all he saw were tears in her blank eyes. Her whole body was shaking like a leaf, shiver after shiver, tingle after tingle simply resonating through her.

_He grabbed her wrist, pinning her against the wall. "We all know what happens to sweet Pandora… I will have her eventually." Mr Clever stared right into Ella's eyes, an ungodly smirk on his lips. "When her blood spills in Trenzalore, you will be no more!"_

Ella snapped out of her thoughts, those words simply tore through her. "How! How did Mr Clever know?!"  
The Doctor clenched his hands into fists as he stood there, trying to think of something else to hide the truth. He knew that door was closed to Mr Clever, he made sure of it but he couldn't hide it. "I don't know… He shouldn't have known." He paused, taking in a breath as he tried to get Ella moving again. "I can't do this now, Ella please."  
"Just tell me!" Ella almost screamed at her father as she tried to stay balanced. How could he do this, how could he ignore those words and never do a thing about it.

The Doctor barely got any words out as whispers began to echo out around them once more, the sound of them drawing close again. He planted himself against the fence only to see those hideous creatures pacing up the stairs behind them. "Run…" The Doctor said with such calmness but Ella had not done that, "Run!" He demanded as he tugged her hand from the fence and dragged her up and out of the TARDIS metal corridors. 


	9. Speak and They Will Give

Chapter 9: Speak and they will give

Once they had reached ground, a familiar voice echoed out as the Doctor approached in silence. "There is a key, that being a word and that being connected to the Doctor…"  
"Here I am, late to my own funeral…" The Doctor snarled as he took up position between his friends and the enemy before him. Ella stayed at her father's side, seeing Madame Vastra and her wife alongside Strax, well at least they had back up right? "…Glad you could make it." The Doctor added as he glanced to Jenny and smiled a little. "Speak your name Doctor, open your tomb." Ella studied the older man that stood before a door, a door to the tomb. The Doctor smirked, as if he was going to give his name away now, after all these years of running from it. "No, I will not open those doors." He could feel his daughter's hand grasp his, he knew she sensed something terrible and he wasn't going to deny it.

Ella didn't know this man though, never seen him until now, "Dad who is this?" This wasn't Darcyl, not the man who threatened the lives of their friend's. The Doctor ignored his daughter for now, it seemed Darcyl had bought in backup, people to do his dirty work.

"You know what is in there. The word is a key lost to time, hidden in the deepest shadow and known only to you alone." This odd man kept a straight face, kept his posture and calmness the whole time. The Doctor let go of Ella's hand and stepped forward with fists clenched. "An answer to a question…"

The Doctor finally had enough, getting right up into the man's face. God he wanted to punch this guy square in the jaw, to shut him up. He stared him in the eyes, making it full known that he, as the Doctor was never going to speak his name for the sake of this man. "I will not open my own tomb." The Doctor snarled like a wild animal that was about to attack. Ella gulped a little because something else was here, no… someone else. From her left a few men stepped up alongside the whispering men, all masked, all in combat gear. Her hearts began to race, each thump much harder than the one before. However one in particular had caught Ella's eye. "Darcyl," She breathed, her chest aching form the thumping heart beats. It seemed she was the only one who had noticed Darcyl step up and take his place beside the man that was now toe to toe with the Doctor. "Doctor, what is your name?" The pair of them stared at each other, anger and hate in the Doctor's eyes while there was nothing in that of the creepy guy. The old man grasped the Doctor's face, a small look of disgust on his lips. For a moment the Doctor had no clue to what was happening right now, to why this man was so desperate to get inside his tomb.  
He yanked the hand from his face, in which the man side stepped for the Doctor to do what he asked… open his tomb.

It wasn't over though because this man knew the Doctor would not do as said. He walked towards the group, the very people who had done everything to care for the Doctor before he stopped and faced the Doctor. "His friends, his daughter… stop their hearts!"  
Darcyl laughed, "Not yet… not until you give us what we came for." His finger trailed over to the girl, his Little Ella, the very one he had been hunting for far too long. The Doctor spun to face him, wide eyed and shocked, "I killed you… I stopped your heart from beating!" He wanted to scream and shout at this Irish spy and end him once more. "Yes! Yes you did Doctor." The Irish in his voice was so strong, so vibrant as he spoke. The Paternoster gang glanced at Ella, they had no clue to who this Irish man was. "Darcyl, stay out of this. We can deal with this later." Ella warned him off, her life long enemy once again ready to await her death. "No, this man promised me that with your father out of the way, I'll have you. He kills you then, well I won't be happy."

The Doctor glanced at his daughter, it suddenly all made sense now. The people from the rhyme, the ones that would finally have Ella was Hydra, they were the receivers of Ella's soul. "You cannot be here Darcyl because he will only screw you over!" The Doctor was adamant now, he needed to get them out of the way.  
"Enough!" The Great Intelligence shouted, his hand raised in the air ready to give the order. He wanted what he wanted and had no care for anyone else. "Stop their hearts!" The faceless men behind them descended on them, hands out to stop their beating hearts. All four of them turned to face the creatures behind them, panic engulfing them. Ella was unarmed, barely able to defend herself as a pain surged through her head, a splitting headache being passed her way. Strax began to shout commanding orders, of course wrong ones like usual.

The Doctor glanced around, did he give up his name or did he fight. Would he let his friends and his only family left to die or save them? His eyes darted between the people he cared for, Darcyl and the Great Intelligence, panic engulfing him as well as a million thoughts all at once. "Your name Doctor."  
"Stop, stop this now!" He begged, seeing his daughter clasp a hand to her forehead while the other tried to search for he glasses. He knew what storm was going to come. Strax grasped a random piece of wood from the floor and swung at the creatures, slicing through one of them. It did nothing however as it simply healed itself with ease, not a care in the world.

Ella had her glasses on her face now but she had no time to fight back as she found herself backing up away from the faceless men before her. "Dad! Damn it just do it!"  
She didn't care any more, she was fighting too much at once and it was slowly wearing her down. "Doctor who? It's a simple question, easy to answer!" With every second that passed, the Doctor was thinking, praying for a miracle as he tried to find a way out of this. Ella felt a hand press against her chest, it didn't matter if it stopped one heart because she was a Gallifreyan and two hearts came in handy. He spun to face the old man who was now staring him down, "Please, stop this!" Another beg from the Doctor's lips and god was Darcyl enjoying this. He watched with anticipation, knowing all too well the Doctor struggled to process while he panicked like a lost child. "Leave them alone! Let them be." The Doctor was trying to stay calm over this but he was struggling just like Darcyl had silently predicted.

"Dad! Dad just tell him!" The pain that Ella was almost crippling under was excruciating, even with on heart being crushed under the power of the creature before her, she was still struggling to keep a lid on herself. On Pandora even.  
Darcyl danced around to where Ella was pinned, leaning so close to her so he could whisper in her ear, "Come out, come out Pandora… time to play." He laughed before stepping back, his own men keeping their guns raised and aimed at every one else who was not working with the Great Intelligence.

"Doctor Who?!" The man shouted before being cut off by the Doctor himself.  
"Please!" His words were almost spat out, he couldn't watch his little girl die like this. However something extraordinary happened behind him. The door parted, revealing the entrance into the very tomb he was to be buried in. Ah well, that was a little awkward for the Doctor, he knew someone was going to say something about that. The Great Intelligence raised a hand, the order to leave the four alone. In fact he was amazed that the doors opened and the name was never said.

Ella slumped to the floor as the Whisper Men stepped back, releasing their hold on the Doctor's friends as well as his daughter. She clasped at her chest, rubbing it in order to get her heart beating back in time with her right one. "Please?! Are you freaking kidding me?" Ella snarled, "That's your first name?"  
"Of course it isn't Ella… Don't be absurd." The Doctor replied as he faced the door, amazed that his prayers were answered. In all honesty he kind of wished that was his name.  
Ella was beginning to wonder where her mother was when she was needed. Oh yea that's right. Dead. Well wasn't she wrong yet again, she could hear her mother talking once more. "The TARDIS can still hear me! Lucky thing since him indoors has been so useless." River couldn't help but chuckle as she paced past her husband, knowing he couldn't see her.

Strax managed to turn a little in order to shout out, "Why did you open the door sir! I nearly had them!"  
The Doctor was still staring at the door in disbelief, confused to how that door opened without saying his own name. No one else here could have said it because they didn't know, not even his own daughter. "I… I didn't do it, I didn't say my name."  
River was standing right in front of him, so close yet she was so far away. All he did was stare though his wife as he tried to understand what had just happened. Ella glanced over, struggling to get a regular heartbeat back once more. She could see her mother standing right there, "No but I did." She smirked a little at her husband, the lover, the hero she once called upon every time she needed his help and here she was, saving him, saving them. The Doctor stared for a moment; he could have sworn River was there, at his side, standing just out the corner of his eye. No, it couldn't have been surely? He shook the thought away before rushing over to his friends, "Everyone ok?" He checked Vastra, Jenny and Strax before rushing over to his daughter's side and gently grasping her cheeks so he could look at her.

The Doctor pulled his daughter to her feet, "Are you ok?" He gave her the once over, dusting her down. Ella grasped a hold of him, her voice a little croaky, trembling with each word. "Fucking please?" Ella only swore if she found no other words or in a state of disbelief and right now this was both. Her father gave her a small smile at her words, he wasn't going to reprimand her for swearing because he honestly found it somewhat amusing. "Possibly, yes, maybe?" He replied before planting a kiss on Ella's forehead and tugged her into the tightest hug yet. "I'm sorry," The Doctor murmured into his daughter's ear, "I'm so sorry Little Pond." Ella closed her eyes as her father encased her in his arms, protecting her once more.

"Oh Mr. GI, come on! You can't just let them walk away like that!" Darcyl never knew when to let up and this was one of those moments right now as he leaned against a post. "Are you letting them live?!" He gestured mainly to Ella, that girl he so truly hated. Simeon or whatever he was now called, turned to Darcyl, a hand raised to silence the foolish young lad. "You will get what you came for. I suggest you stay silent!" He hissed through withered lips. The Doctor faced the Great Intelligence, seeing him scold the Irish man that dithered about near a pillar. "Now then Doctor Simeon, or G Intelligence, whatever I call you. Do you even know what is in there?" The Doctor nodded to the partially open doors behind him, wondering if this man knew at all what he was getting into. The Great Intelligence faced him with his arms behind his back, barely a hint of emotion in his eyes as he leaned forward a touch on his toes. "For me, peace at last but for you… pain ever lasting. Shouldn't you invite us in?" The older guy stepped back to the side a little, a suggestion that the Doctor really should do as told for once.

Ella glanced at her father, seeing him lower his head out of pity for the man before him before looking to his daughter. The pair of them had a bond like no other had seen or would ever see again. For two people who were originally best friends, they were already so close, already so trusting of each other no matter their flaws. So when they looked at each other, when they made eye contact they both knew that they were thinking the same thing. Ella and her father were already planning and re-planning, their minds racing with thoughts in that split moment that they made contact silently. A father, at times would not often understand their daughter, watching them grow and blossom and yet feel as if they never really had a clue to what they were doing but right now the Doctor felt privileged that he did in fact know almost everything about his little Pond.

The Doctor finally turned away from Ella, the girl pleading him not to do this with her sea blue eyes. He saw the pain it was causing within Ella but he truly struggled to see that, to be able to face up to that. He took in a deep breath before heading towards the door of the tomb, tugging on his jacket a little. This was not going to end well.  
He pressed a hand against one part of the door before doing the same with other and tugged them apart. He wasn't ready for this, wasn't ready to know what he would find inside the dying TARDIS. Who knew, after all he could find his rotting body in there, possibly something far more worse than that.


	10. A Lit Up Truth

Chapter 10: A lit up truth

Inside it was dark apart from a soft glow of blue light that bounced around the room, the cloister bell rung out every second or so, a warning that the TARDIS was in trouble. The console room was where they had found themselves, ivory and other plants snaking around the walls, growing from broken roundels, railings bounded with leaves and twigs as the plants grew wildly and untamed around the once well kept TARDIS console room. The Doctor made his way up one side of the TARDIS steps, his friends and daughter behind him while Simeon and the Hydra crew climbed the other side.

As the Doctor reached the top of the steps, his hearts sank, just as Ella's did. Both of them had not expected what they had found. "Dad, what's that."  
"You was expecting a body, but bodies are boring. I would have had loads of them." He made his way onto the raised platform where the console once stood, only to be met with a minor column of twisting and pulsating white-blue light. The glow from it encased the room, lit up the retched faces of the old man on the other side of the light, highlighting his deathly features. Darcyl's eyes were wide and fascinated with what stood before him, this was something far too beautiful to touch.

The Doctor moved closer to it, studying it in seconds. Ella had done the same, she knew just as well as her father did what this was and why it was dangerous to be here. "No… no that's not what my tomb is for." He stopped pacing, he was now standing between his own group and that of the enemy on the other side. He didn't look at either of them. "But what is the light?" Madame Vastra questioned, as she stepped to Jenny's side. "It's beautiful…" Jenny added, the gang mesmerized by the swirls of light, watching it form strings that entwined with other strings of light with ease. Strax felt threatened as usual by the light, "Shall I destroy it?" He questioned in a commanding tone but he was soon silenced by Vastra.  
"Dad, please tell me that isn't…"  
Her father stared at her, it was clear to her that she was right to think it was his entire timeline trapped within that pulsating column of light. "They are the tracks of my tears…"

Simeon was not the type to wait around while someone gave a speech about the beauty of what stood before them. "Enough Poetry Doctor and just tell them!"  
Ella's eyes widened as she kept them on her father, was there something she did not know about the light that emitted before her? "Time travel is damage. It is like a tear in the fabric of reality." The Doctor looked tired, no… correction he was tired, tired of everything he had suffered, everything he had not got that he wanted and most of all he was tired of the fool that was right before him.

He paced back towards his daughter as he spoke, "That is the scar tissue of my journey through the universe. My path through time, space…. From Gallifrey to Trenzalore." He looked at it with sad eyes, the scar still entwining with itself in the centre of the room. Ella's fists tightened as she stood there, this needed to end… all of it. Her father tugged out his sonic screwdriver from his pocket before sonicing the light, forcing his past to leak out. The echoing whispers of his past made itself known to the room. Times with his third face, times with his fourth, tenth even his first, all of them sitting there ready to be heard and lived all over again. The Doctor finally lowered his sonic and placed it back in his pocket before gesturing to it and chuckled softly, "It's my own personal time tunnel. All of the days…" A sudden feeling of nausea passed over him but he tried to shake it away, "…even the ones I haven't lived yet." He squinted, as if the light was stronger than it was before. He glanced at his daughter, she seemed fuzzy, her outline fluffed up and blurry.

He had no time to even question it as he fell to the floor. Ella gasped, no this couldn't be happening! Just as prophecy had told her, just as each and every word was written, it was happening, unravelling from paper to reality. "Dad! Dad, no!" Ella rushed over to him, skidding to a halt as she collapsed to her knees at his side. "That is why I shouldn't be here! The Paradoxes are very bad!" He tugged at his collar, he felt so hot, as if he was burning up a fever right inside of him. He could barely move, could barely feel his own body as it numbed into a flaming fever like feeling within him. Ella grasped her father as he writhed slightly on the floor, unaware that Simeon was already walking towards it.

If the Doctor was stabilized, unable to move and had no means of stopping him then this was the perfect moment. He took a few more paces towards the lit column, staring at it with intense need to touch it. "No! No what are you doing. Stop him!" The Doctor swung his arm out as if he was trying so desperately to grasp the man from touching the tear in time and space before him. "The Doctor's life is an open wound and an open wound can be entered." Ella snapped her eyes to the man before her, no way was she letting him get into that scar tissue. She got to her feet, tearing her dress from herself to reveal the uniform beneath. She went no where without it recently and she was glad she was fully armoured as well.

The gun was instantly unholstered and raised to be aimed at Simeon head. Her eyes narrowed as she saw Darcyl jump for joy behind the man because he loved every moment of this. No one had expected the girl to do anything, after all she was the Doctor's daughter and they had expected her to play ball like her father would often do. "One more step and I will make sure you never walk again." She was given a smirk in return, it was a simple thing for her to know that he couldn't be harmed, he was nothing. "Miss Stark…" He began.  
"Miss Pond to you, actually." Her hand was steady; her father writhed on the floor in pain at her feet as he tried to beg her to not do this. "Miss Pond, if you think you can stop me then, so be it but I will kill you before you can even touch me." Ella titled her head at him a little, eyes still narrowed as she kept her full attention on him. "I dare you but you won't like me when I get just a tad touchy," She snarled at him.

Of course, Simeon went ahead and did what he shouldn't have done. "Oh yes, Pandora, the girl who is the key to ending the Doctor's life. It seems she has failed at her chance to do so." He raised his hand and within seconds a Whisper Man was behind Ella, his hand ready to stop her hearts. Ella smirked as her eyes faded to black, the smirk on her lips grew as she cocked the gun. Her next words were no longer Ella's, in fact they were those of Pandora's, her accent so broad and Irish. "Failed? Sonny you're the one who has failed. I was supposed to be here and I was supposed to be the one that kills you alongside the Doctor himself. You were just bait."  
Pandora let a shrill laugh, beckoning Darcyl to step forward. She had not seen him in so long, her heart yearned for him when she saw him however there was a different feeling that was so much stronger than love. Hate. Darcyl stepped forward, his once stunning lover now here before him and ready to take him back, well so he thought. "Pandora, my love." He murmured, his brown eyes set on the girl before him. It may have been Ella's face that represented his lover but it was her mind that was running the show. "Shut up," She snarled at him, her passionate hate for him was growing every second. "Right, now I know how strong you are Mr G Intelligence so be my weapon and step on through."

At her feet the Doctor tugged at his neck tie again, trying to prevent himself from throwing up from the nausea he was suffering. "No, no it will destroy you." His voice was soft, slurred even, as if he had drank far too much of his daughter's whiskey.  
Pandora pressed a foot to the Doctor's chest as he lay upon the floor while Simeon raised a brow, "Well played Miss Pandora." He glanced at Vastra, Strax and Jenny with a smug smirk upon his face, it seemed not one of them were prepared to fight him or Pandora herself. "But No Doctor, it won't destroy me. It will simply kill me but destroy you."

The Doctor couldn't even push the foot that had him pinned down from him because he was so weak. His head lolled to one side, eyes closing. "I can re write your entire timeline. Turn every one of your victories into defeats and every friendship poisoned while I deliver pain towards your every breath." Vastra went to move but the gun swung round to her direction, Pandora never turned her head though to look at her, "Move and you die… reptile." Pandora had been anticipating this plan for so long, needed to be right here at this very moment. She had planted the seed of doubt into Ella's mind about Clara, about how her father really felt about her. She had done so much to get this far. Years of work, almost a hundred years and here she was… the night the Doctor died.

The Doctor managed to open his eyes once more, his hand grasping at the boot on his chest, "It will burn you up, once you go in you cannot come back." Every word was still a little slurred, filled with tears and worry. It seemed that no matter how much someone wanted to kill him, to end his life he still tried to show compassion towards them. "You'll be scattered along my time line like confetti!" He pleaded so hard with Simeon because he knew if he got into his timeline then chances were he'd ruin everything he had worked so hard to achieve, in fact he'd never see his daughter again and that was all he had left of his little family.

"It matters not Doctor! You thwarted me at every turn and now you will give me peace as I take my revenge on every second of your life." With a slight tip of his hat towards the Doctor he said his final farewell, "Goodbye…" However there was one last thing he could do to destroy Pandora as well because he knew for the Doctor to suffer as much as he wanted, Ella had to have full control of her body in order to be lost to the Doctor. He raised a hand, "… but before I do go. Kill them… kill them all." He snarled, clenching his hand into a fist in order to force the Whisper Men to kill the Hydra that surrounded them.

Wails and screams suddenly erupted, Pandora nearly dropped her gun in response to what was happening before her. "No!" As her men dropped to the floor like flies, Darcyl was already rushing at Simeon. "You broke our contract you bastard!" He flung his arms around the old man before pulling him into the light column. The Doctor's eyes widened, Pandora's foot now removed from his chest. "Darcyl!" Pandora almost screamed as she watched the pair of them disappear, never to be in her reach again.

The entire place began to shake with violence as the Whisper Men around them disappeared, Pandora collapsed to her knees as she had lost what could have been. Simeon did not have the chance to gain Ella back so Ella's timeline was safe; she would have suffered everything that she had suffered.

The Doctor began to scream and shout in pain as he thrashed about on the floor. He grabbed at his shirt as if he wanted to tear the pain right out of him but of course, there was no such way of doing that. His life was being torn at the seams.  
Pandora got to her feet slowly, turning to see the Doctor on the floor still, "Why won't you just die." She paced over to him, only to be stopped as someone stepped in front of her. 


	11. When Demon Blood is Spilt

Chapter 11: When Demon Blood is Spilt

No one from the Paternoster gang had moved in fear that they would be shot, so who was stupid enough to stop her. "Clara…" Pandora snarled at her as they faced off. "I won't let you hurt him…" The Doctor let out another scream as he tried to fight against the impossible. Vastra snuck around the back of Jenny and Strax to the Doctor's side. "He's being rewritten!" She cried out.

Pandora bared her teeth at Clara, "You foolish girl. Why are you even here?! He never cared for you!" Pandora went to slam her gun hilt into the girl's face but Jenny took action and swung in, catching the gun and stopping her. Pandora snapped her eyes onto Jenny. "What are you doing?!"

Vastra pinned the Doctor down, trying to stop him from hurting himself as he thrashed about. "Simmion is attacking his entire timeline; he's dying all at once!" She began listing the moments that the Doctor saved people, "Dalek's Asylum, Adrizalie…"

Pandora had no care for this, for the man that lay upon the floor, dying. She just knew that he was going to be dead soon and that was fine by her. Pandora swung up with her other hand, catching Jenny in the jaw. Jenny stumbled back as she tried to recollect herself before rebalancing. She spotted the knife in Pandora's leg garter, the emerald encrusted handle glistened in the glow of the light that had now turned a violent red as Simmion tore up the Doctor's life.

While Jenny kept Pandora busy, Clara dropped to her knees to the Doctor, "What did you say?" She glanced at Vastra, confused. Vastra returned her gaze, a little shocked to why the girl had asked her to what she had said. "Did you say the Dalek Asylum?" Everything was flooding back, memories she never had or even remembered living through. Tears rolled down her cheeks as she was hit with thoughts and ideas. "Now he is dying in Victorian London with us!" Vastra was tugging out a gadget as she traced the history of earth itself.

Jenny kicked the back of Pandora's leg, forcing her to one knee before grabbing the dagger, unsheathing it. For a moment she was amazed at how expensive this thing looked but she shook the thought from her head. Pandora hissed before swinging a fist to Jenny who in return ducked.

The Doctor was starting to fit on the floor, the pain of dying all at one time in his timeline was excruciating for him. His head was on fire, his lungs barely able to chug down air and his hearts were gradually slowing down. "Oh dear god…" Vastra murmured as she stared at the small scanner in her hand. Clara narrowed her eyes at Vastra before glancing over her shoulder to the now red light. "A world without the Doctor has its consequences…."  
Vastra got to her feet, seeing Pandora and Jenny still fighting. Jenny managed to dodge a punch and swung back, the hilt of the dagger smashing into her jaw.

"Strax!" Vastra began to rush outside, Strax in tow. Jenny on the other hand heard Vastra on the move, so with one final swing, the dagger was thrust upwards and into the stomach of the demon who possessed Ella. "I'm sorry… so sorry." Jenny let go of the dagger as Pandora slipped to the floor. "You… you were… the one who killed me," Pandora gasped as she fell to the floor, the gun clattered as she lay there.  
Jenny stumbled back, praying that Vastra might have a clue to what to do.

Clara was now on her feet, the Doctor was still murmuring incoherent words "Please. Stop. My life is burning." He reached out to the red entwining threads of light, tears slipping down his cheeks. The girl knew what she had to do now, but there was one last thing. She stepped over the Doctor and knelt at Pandora's side, moving the hair from her eyes, "Give Ella back, your time is up."  
Pandora grasped at Clara's dress collar, "I don't die… she does…" She struggled to slap on a smirk as she knelt there on all fours, a hand pressed to her stomach as she dared to tug the knife from herself. "No… she won't." And with that she got to her feet. From outside Vastra was crying out for Jenny before she was shouting at Strax. Everything was being ruined, being lost.

Clara stared at the red light, a tear rolling down her cheek. She was, for once, having to give up her life to save the most important man in the world as well as his daughter. "I know what I have to do now," Clara muttered under her breath but the Doctor had heard her speak, "No… please." He spoke through gritted teeth, words more slurred than they were now. Clara glanced back at the Doctor, "But I've already done all this. You've already seen me do this." Pandora glanced up at Clara, well if there was one last thing she could do then it was this. She crawled towards the door, needing to get out. She had to bleed on the ground of this damn planet. "I'm the impossible girl and this is why." Clara was oblivious to Pandora moving to the side, planning her escape.

River stepped in front of Pandora, a whisper passed her way, "What ever you are thinking…" She wasn't talking to Pandora though, she was talking to Clara because there was no point in trying to prevent Pandora from escaping. "Don't do it. His timeline will tear you into a million pieces; million versions of you will be living and dying all over time and space." Pandora glanced up at Clara, of course she couldn't see River unlike Ella. "What?" She slipped back even more, the door nearly in reach.  
"You'll just be echoes Clara." River was pleading now, wishing she could do more than just stand idly by. "And they can save the Doctor right?" Clara replied as she fought back tears.  
"But they won't be you because the real you will die. They will just be copies." Why would the girl not listen?! No wonder Ella had a frustrating time with her. "Real enough to save the Doctor, right?" Clara glanced at River with a small smile on her face.  
"It's like my mum said, the soufflé isn't the soufflé, the soufflé is just the recipe." Clara turned to the Doctor, a small smile on her lips. "It's the only way to save him, to save your daughter." River nodded a little, her gaze not taken from the pair of them once.

Pandora gasped as she stumbled outside, her fingers digging into the ground beneath her. "You won't win just yet. Once my blood drips upon this ground then everything will be carried out." She crawled towards the dying grass, her knees scraping along as a trail of blood dripped against the concrete. Right on the edge, that was where she was and she was barely holding onto her life. All she had to do was bleed out her whole body and she'd be free. Finally she reached the decaying grass, her chest fell against it as she lay down among it. Her hand grasped the knife handle before she tugged it from herself and chucked it to one side. "Finally…" She murmured as her blood seeped out.

Vastra had passed the body of Pandora as she rushed in, ignoring her completely. "The stars are going out! Jenny and Strax are dead!" The reptilian was distressed, gulping back tears as her heart broke. Clara stared at her, seeing the pain within her eyes for losing such good people. Something was missing though and River had noted this, "Vastra find Ella, it's important. Also if this works please get out of here as fast as you can and spare me a thought here and there."  
The Doctor tried to roll to his side, to try and grasp Clara's ankle as she began to walk towards the red threads of light. "There are a few other things before I do this. Get to your daughter ASAP, Pandora has played her part…" Clara gulped a little, trembling with slight fear as she stood there staring into the very thing that resembled the Doctor's life. "In fact you know what?" Clara turned to face him and smiled, "Run you clever boy and remember me." And with one leap, she fell into the Doctor's time stream, no one holding her back and no one there to rescue her when she fell.

Outside Pandora stared up at the stars that were barely visible from the lightening storm that brewed on over head. Her hand clasped her abdomen as she kept the smirk upon her ever so red lips. It was a beautiful sight but one that she may never see again. "Finally… you become me. Once I have bled out you will take me on and you won't be able to stop me…" Her voice trembled as tears filled her eyes, Pandora had not cried since she had died that very night when Darcyl struck her in the heart. Her now bloodied hand fell to her side, streaking more blades of dying grass with glistening maroon liquid. "I have done my job, and I served my people well." She could feel the life draining from her at such a slow rate that it was starting to make her wonder if she really should be doing this. Her ears picked up the cries of the Doctor, it seemed there had been a single flaw in the plan. No one had expected Clara to show up, no one had expected her to dive right into the time stream and destroy herself for the Doctor, to save him and let everything that once happen, happen. "Good bye Doctor, may your dying breath be stolen from you by your own daughter."

The room glistened as the red light was burst from it's hold on the entwining threads before settling back into a stunning and mystical white once more. Strax was somewhat trying to scold Madam Vastra for shooting him earlier but the Doctor was barely paying attention as he stood with his back to them. It seemed all too much, all far too devastating. He'd lost a friend and he had lost his wife and above all his daughter's body was no longer here. "Look, we are all restored and that is all that matters now." Oh those were the wrong words to use because the Doctor still had three people missing from his life right now.

He spun to face them, anger on his face, "We are not all restored!"  
River knew what her husband was thinking as she hovered at his side, "You can't go in there, it is your own time stream for god sake. Just go get Ella, she is dying."  
He may not have been able to hear or see hear but River wished so hard he could right now, wished he would listen to her very words. "I have to get her back," He gestured to the scar tissue of time and space that pulsed before him. "Of course but not like this!" River was seeing this as the worst thing he could possibly do as of now.  
"But how?" Jenny asked, confused as she stared at what the Doctor was staring at.  
"Is she even still alive?" Vastra couldn't see how he could simply grip the girl and raise her from his own time stream. It seemed all far too dangerous. "I mean it killed doctor Simmion."  
The Doctor smirked, there was something they were forgetting. "Clara has got an advantage over the Great Intelligence… me" This was certainly the worst choice of his life but it had to be done, even if it were not going to be by his hand.

Pandora's eyes flickered between being open and then being closed. Her heart rate was slowing down and her breathing had become hoarse and ragged as she tried to cling to the last few parts of her life. "You have to let go Pandora. I can't stop you from doing what you wished." A familiar sounding voice caught her attention, her eyes opening in order to see who owned it. A kind smile beamed down at her, "Doctor, I see you found me. You're too late, she'll be theirs." Pandora smirked a little at him as another pain filled sigh escaped her. The Doctor slipped a hand under her head and gently cradled her, "I know, I'll learn that in a moment but I swore to myself that I'd be here for Ella." He brushed the hair from her eyes before running his thumb across her cheek. It pained him even now to see Ella here in his arms but not physically here. "You are not of now?" Pandora questioned him, she might as well ask questions because she could do nothing else other than simply bleed out here. "No, I am of the future. As long as I do not touch my former self then I'll be safe to sit here." The Doctor yet again gave Pandora a small smile. "At least you can rest now." The sadness in those black eyes showed that there was still some humanity in her, enough to keep her sane long enough to realise that even sometimes she was wrong to do what she had done.

Rest was becoming a relief in her eyes, laying there as she looked up at the man she felt she loved. Did she truly love him though or was it an emotion that she took on in order to ignore her own torment within her mind. The torment of not having the man she loved at her side, the torment of being jammed into someone else's body, the people she killed, the guilt building up within her. "It has been far too long since I rested." She murmured, her fingers loosening the grip on his shirt. The Doctor nodded slightly, "I know Pandora. I am so, so sorry for what you are about to experience next." He gently kissed her forehead before resting her back on the ground and taking a step back from her because she was about to suffer regeneration at an intense level.

The glow of golden regeneration energy slowly seeped over the girl's slender figure, coating her in an instant. The Doctor let slip a tear because in a few moments as his past self rescued his sweet Clara, he'd hear his little Pond scream out in pain.

The Doctor stood there as he watched over his little girl, other than he and River, he had never witnessed anyone else regenerate in this way. Of course he had not expected Ella to change face like he, Ella was lucky like that but it seemed he was to get a shock soon enough. Pandora arched her back, fingers digging into the dirt beneath her as she tried to ignore the pain that over took her. She was changing, her life being doused in flames right before her very eyes. "No! No, please!" She screamed out, voice becoming ragged with each breath as she fought not to pass out from the pain. DNA was healing, changing, moving into new and different patterns to fix the Gallifreyan child's body. Oh how she wished the pain away.  
"It's ok Pandora!" The Doctor cried out to reassure her, unaware that at the very last moment Pandora would fall back into Ella's mind and leaving Ella to take the rest of the fall.


	12. Burning Out the Flame

Chapter 12: Burning out the flame

From inside the Doctor's tomb, Ella's father heard the cries from outside, his eyes were wide as he grasped Clara in his hands. He glanced at Strax then at the door, "My daughter…" He gasped handing Clara over to the Sontaran so they could tend to her. The moment his hands were free, his feet took him running down the steps and out of the console room of his TARDIS to outside. For a moment his breath caught in his throat as he saw the ball of golden light encase the floor before him, "Ella…" He murmured, tears pricking his eyes as he watched his daughter die before him. He went to rush to her side, to grasp her hand and stop her from dying but something stopped him, a glimpse of his self, "Do not fret, you can come back, you can be at her side as she takes her last breath." His future self spoke to him but the Doctor could barely register what he was seeing. As the final blast of regeneration energy sparked out and slowly faded, the Doctor ran to his daughter, tears streaming down his face. "Ella! Ella, god please be alive still… please!" He slipped his hand under her head, the other hand gently wiping tinted ginger hair from her face.

Wait, brown hair with ginger highlights? That wasn't right, not correct. He panicked, the Doctor's hearts thumping so rapidly as he tried to understand what he was seeing. His fingers brushed through his daughter's hair, the ends a vibrant orange. S this was what it meant that she'd become theirs. Ella would become Pandora, Ella would become their weapon, finally. He pressed his forehead to her's as he tried to swallow back tears and yet something told him that life was going to be so much harder for the pair of them now. "Ella, please wake up… please I beg you little Pond." He murmured with a tone of desperation to his voice.

It was a sickening and sad sight to see, a father crying over the practically dead body of his own child as he held her in his arms. No parent should have to suffer such a thing but here in the fields of Trenzalore, not a breath or a heartbeat to her name. The floor around her was now coated in a sticky residue, the blood of the demon was glittering an orange tint under the light of the storm above them. What was a father to do now that he had lost his child? He glanced up at his own tomb and shook his head pleadingly as he prayed he need not do this. "No… no, I cannot leave her here. She deserves to be taken home!" The Doctor practically screamed at the clouded and overcast heavens, the TARDIS that sat against the grief stricken skyline. When the Doctor meant home though, he did not mean the TARDIS, no he meant the home that Ella held close to her heart, the one in the sun and near the sea where she had found a new family. Stark would be torn apart at the loss of his sister, the loss of the girl that propped him up in times of need, just like she had done with him.

The Doctor turned back to his daughter and hitched her up into his arms. There was no way on this hell of a planet he was leaving her to simply rot in the one place that he despised. He traipsed back into the tomb, before laying his daughter on the floor before the gang that had stood by him through thick and thin. As Ella was laid to rest against the glass of the TARDIS console room floor, the Doctor pressed his lips to Ella's forehead and sighed as he knelt beside her. "My sweet child…" He murmured, the feeling of guilt encasing him just like the time he had lost Rory and Amy to the weeping angels. This was his reward for saving the universe over and over again, by taking away the only things he truly loved.

Jenny rested a hand on the Doctor's shoulder in which he gently grasped back as he stared silently at his daughter. "She didn't make it through the regeneration…" He finally croaked out as his head hung low. How could he have been so hell bent on saving Clara when his own daughter was left to die on her own without the one man she trusted? Her father. Vastra though had discovered that the news was already flowing across the galaxy. How? She was unsure but something unusual was happening. "Doctor, you need to see this." She handed the scanner down to the raggedy man in which he took it and stared at the screen. Across the entire line of time and space, suns were burning up of course they were ones that were not needed but they were burning. From that lead onto the name of Ella written across planets and stars, it seemed the grieving had become wide spread. Not because she had died or saved lives but because the Doctor himself had told a tale of the girl as he travelled. People began to take heed of the Doctor's stories, began to believe him and when they finally heard that Ella had passed away, they grieved alongside the Doctor.

His future self had managed to travel long enough to spread the tale of Ella-Marie Pond. The troubled girl who had been hunted most of her life and then did she only get such a short amount of time with he father after she finally was reunited with him once more. He told of Ella's triumphs, the nights she saved people and the nights that they saved her. Those days where she stared death in the face for family and friends and finally that one week that changed her completely. How she rebelled against gods that resulted her in being chained down, resulted in her receiving beatings so she would comply to Odin's every wish. Ella had taken them all for friends, family and freedom, just like the scars that rested upon her back. He had been proud of her the day River gave birth to his little girl and he never stopped being just that, no matter the devastation that rested in between.

Something felt different in the air though, as if time was slowly ripping itself apart. The Doctor scrambled to his feet and shoved the scanner in Vastra's hand before tugging out his sonic. He wiped away tears from his cheeks before he suddenly forgot what he was doing, wondered why he saw his own hand grasp his arm. 


	13. Broken TimeLines

Chapter 13: Broken Time Lines

_London. 16/05/2013. 20:13. _

"And that's how we ended up here." Emerald shrugged, the cuffs that tied her to the chair rattled against the metal structure as she moved. The Doctor could barely believe it, all these things that she had told him about his daughter and yet he still didn't want to believe that the girl that sat across the interrogation desk before him was her. "But you haven't told me how you ended up here!" He pointed at the girl, his voice calm and a smirk on his lips as he tried to prove her wrong yet again.

Outside the room, the general of UNIT paced back and forth, his eyes narrowed as he listened in on the conversation. "He is not getting anywhere with her! Just throw her into a room with two of my men and they'll get her to talk." He snarled as he scowled through the one way mirror. The girl had given him lip before and he was ready to give Emerald a good hiding himself. "You can't harm her, Doctor's orders."  
A female voice resonated around the room as she walked in to hear the general's rant. "He is not above me!" He bellowed back to find Clara behind him.  
"No but I am so shut it." She leaned against the wall and watched as the Doctor worked his charm.

Emerald leaned back in the chair a little, again the cuffs jingled as she moved slightly. "I burnt a hole right into the heart of time and space itself, of course though it came with a few disadvantages." The girl raised a brow as she watched the Doctor stare her down. It pained her that she had lost a lot to save herself, well what little there was left of her. Since she had prevented her own death, forced her future father to accidentally connect with his present self, she herself had fallen out of her father's life even in this dimension. Here she was public enemy number one and her father was the one hunting her because he knew all too well she had something to do with the broken time line they were living on.

"Burnt a hole? How can you burn a hole in time?!" The Doctor was now becoming incredibly angered by her words but all she could do was sit here and bide her time. "The one thing you must never do as a time traveller is make flesh on flesh contact with another form of yourself. It's in the rules." She leaned forward ever so slightly. "You did just that with my helping hand." Her fingers waggled a little behind her, she didn't want to bug the Doctor even further but a little bit of acting got her to places she never dreamed of being in. She leant back in the chair and smirked from under her bouncy locks of dark brown hair, the ginger highlights catching the lighting of the room with every movement.

"Doctor, can I ask you something?" A smile flickered across her lips suddenly, the innocent child that she once was rested in her blue eyes. The Doctor narrowed his hazel gaze he had on Emerald, a hand gesturing for her to go on. Building rapport might get him a head in the game she was playing. "When those suns burned up in the name of your daughter, did they burn with her real name attached to it, or the one that she lived to be for her whole life? The innocent child she wanted to live as so desperately, the little girl you wanted to be human instead of the girl who suffered the same things as you did. Was it in her real name?" Emerald had now began to become rather remorseful for the man that sat across form her. He knew how fraught he was now that he had lost the last of the Ponds, the last thing he could call family.

The Doctor's fingers were pressed to his chin, deep in thought. He knew it was in the name of the girl he treasured close to his two beating hearts. Emerald studied his every movement, every minor flicker of potential hope as he mulled this over countless times. "I did it for my little Pond, the daughter that I had, Ella-Marie Pond." This was the first time in a long time that he had said her name in full. It tore him to say it out loud, shocked him even just as it had Clara. The companion pressed a hand against the window, eyes wide as she watched. "He said her name…" Clara murmured. The general furrowed his brow as he glanced from Clara to the back of Emerald's head. "Said who's name?" He queried in grave suspicion, last he checked the Doctor's daughter was slaughtered in battle upon Trenzalore.

The Doctor scowled at Emerald as he watched her close her eyes and smile a kind smile, like that he once remembered of his daughter. There was a small issue though with that, remembering was something that was not too hard for him but in this case he could barely picture his daughters face. The only thing he missed or could clearly picture in his mind was his daughter's sea blue eyes, the same ones he adored the moment she was born. There was no telling if his daughter looked like him or River, no telling how beautiful she had turned out or even if she had that mass of hair just like her mother.

Clara leaned against the framing of the window, brow furrowed as she watched with great interest at the conversation that was happening behind closed doors, so to speak. The general glanced at Clara and repeated his question, "Who's name did he say?" His voice now more authoritarian, it was sterner even as he demanded an answer. Clara tore her eyes from the room and faced the general opposite her, "Ella-Marie Pond was his daughter. Being that he is a time traveller he knows about pasts that have never happened or have happened in a dimension that was once possible. His daughter died in another realm which somehow broke time itself. He hasn't said her name for years now." Clara turned her attention back to the one two way mirror. "But then again, what's a year to us is a day to him…"

The Doctor blinked back tears, cleared his throat before running a hand through his hair. "I did it in the name I gave to her and nothing else. She was Ella-Marie Pond and that's how she is to be remembered."  
Emerald leaned forward and nodded, "And that is how she will stay but think about it sir, think about her real name, the name you hide among the stars…"

All he could do was sit there and stare at her because for a vital split second something twigged in his head. His eyes widened a little at the girl before him, his eyes trailing to the partly fiery red hair that rested past her shoulders, the blue eyes that stared back at him, "Her real name, the name that could burn a thousand stars. Doctor, that night those suns burned, those stars… someone spoke her name and it saved her. Doctor you have to remember, please!"

Emerald was becoming desperate, she knew living in this world was much harder than she had planned in the beginning. Without the man she looked up to, she was living a lonely life and one that she couldn't stand any longer. The Doctor's eyes widened as he thought about what the girl had said. Yes, his daughter's names could burn any star but he swore he never had said it that night he lost her, that night he forgot his own daughter. "Emerald…" He murmured under his breath, only loud enough so that the girl could hear him.

Clara was now wide eyed and staring through the glass like a child at a zoo. She had seen his lips move but nothing came out… to an extent. The general raised a brow, his moustache twitched a tad as he watched with narrowed eyes, "What is he saying?" He questioned as he looked at the rather eager Clara.

Clara finally tore her attention from the glass window, eyes cold a dead set on the General, "I'm not sure but I think we need to get a live report on the stars…" For a brief few seconds that they were staring at each other, the Doctor spoke another few words.

"Ka Faraq…"

The general tilted his head as he kept his eyes on him. Even he had seen the Doctor's lips move, speak further words, to see Emerald lean in close with wide eyes. Something was happening between them and he needed to know. Were these the secrets of Time Lords being passed between them? He had to know.

The Doctor finally stared the girl in the eyes and took a breath, "It would burn stars if I say the last two words. It would kill you and I…" His voice trailed off, wavering as he held back tears because now he knew who this girl was.  
Emerald pitied the Doctor, pitied his losses and his sufferings, each and every one of them because she had seen them all.  
"You need to say it Doctor. Time needs to be corrected." She stared at him with pleading eyes because this was the only time she could do right by him, do right by her father.

The Doctor let slip one tear, just a single tear down his young looking face. His eyes that stared at her told tales, held pain and love and everything in between. If you looked closely enough then you could see it all but no one had seen it like Emerald had. "I know who you are now and I don't think I want to lose that," These were words of a father, words that only he could say to this girl because she was her, she was his daughter and losing that all over again was unbearable. "At least you know my face," Emerald smiled kindly at him, "Now make me a proud daughter and save the world one more time." She murmured as she sat back and closed her eyes, waiting to hear those last few words. "If I do this then you die, the world will be returned to normal and there will be a few invaluable stars lost to us?" Emerald nodded in answer to her father's question.  
"Back to normal like it should be," Emerald had already prepared herself for her death, she had years to do so in this dimension. 

The Doctor didn't want to comply, this was his daughter before him and he was about to lose all of that all over again. It was like staring into that vortex all over again, the same one he stared at when he was merely a little boy of eight years old. Just a baby and the nightmares he had seen was flooding him once more.

Somehow though, he found the courage to murmur those last few words, the ones he tagged himself with when being schooled. "Theta Sigma…"

Translation: Emerald, the destroyer of Theta Sigma.


	14. Fixing Time

Chapter 14: Fixing Time

With a live feed from some men on the roof, Clara held the radio close to her as she listened in. "The stars are going out, like… mini explosions ma'am." Her eyes widened, so those words they had not heard were the Doctor's daughter's name? Prophecy was coming true here so what about the alternative dimension, was the Doctor suffering there?  
"How quickly? How are they going?" Clara asked over the radio, panic in her voice. She had no recollection of the other dimension so she had this sickly fear she would never see him again. Mind you, would she remember all of this?

"It's like watching mini explosions in the sky, like fireworks ma'am." The soldier that was reporting back to Clara from the roof top was in awe of the sky above him. Each star was burning out quicker than any person could imagine. Clara banged on the window to get the Doctor's attention. He immediately glanced up; Emerald also glanced over her shoulder to see what was going on.  
"Don't go anywhere." The Doctor pointed to Emerald before skittering out the room. As if she could.

Outside the room, Clara was panicking as he popped his head out the door, "What, what is it?" The Doctor questioned her, seeing she was a tad panicked by what was going on. "The stars, they're burning out. You said her name, the name of the girl who would kill a thousand stars." The Doctor's jaw tightened as he heard Clara say this, it meant they were in for a ride back to the real world, the one where he was to be without a daughter.

"Do not fret. It supposed to happen!" He flailed a tad towards Clara. Was she really going to trust him though? After everything they had shared? "Doctor, who is she?!" She gestured to the girl that sat in the interview room alone. The Doctor's eyes trailed over to the girl, his hearts breaking in two. "That's her, that my Pond…"  
"But Doctor she _died_!"  
"I know but here she is under the name that she should never speak."  
Clara stared at him, wondering what he meant by that. Was he saying that this was Emerald, the destroyer of stars? The Doctor's companion shook her head as she stayed staring through the window.

The Doctor could see that Clara was mystified by such a thing, that legends and myths of the girl with the dangerous name was here in their hands and the Doctor had let her name be spoken. "Clara there is one thing you should know though. Her name, it does not mean what you think it means."  
Clara turned to him, a brow raised in suspicion as she tried to understand what he meant. "Her middle and Surname are made up of two languages. Dalek and Gallifreyan, Ka Faraq translates to destroyers of… and Theta Sigma, in my language is my name from when I was in, well, school." Clara was staring at him, mouth open a little as put the words together in he head, as if the puzzle pieces had fallen into place. "River didn't know, she simply liked the words…"

"She's going to kill you?" Clara murmured, there was an essence of shock that swayed over her briefly before returning as fast as it had gone. She felt sick as she thought after thought hit her in waves. The Doctor grasped her shoulders and shook his head, "No… no Clara I won't let that happen. I promise you." He pressed his lips to her forehead, and then glanced back down at her, "I won't let go… not for anyone." He gave her a kind smile before letting go of Clara and dashing back into the room.

"Cuffs! Get them off now." He soniced Emerald's wrists and released her from the metal hold that was on her. With a murmured thank you, she lightly rubbed her wrists to ease the ache in them. "You're letting me go?"  
"You have every right to go, I know what needs to be done." The Doctor replied as he tugged on his deep purple coat, letting it fall at his thighs. He beckoned her to the door as he made his way to it himself. Emerald tilted her head a little, what was he doing?! "It's not just a name that puts us in this place. Something else happened, something more than just name!" He spun to face the girl who had now followed with behind him.

Emerald took a small step backwards as the Doctor looked at her with crazed eyes, a grin on his lips as he beamed down at her, "The future touching it's own past? Emerald, I really hope you didn't plan this?."  
She cocked her head a little at him and raised a brow, "Not my doing Doctor, it was yours."  
His?! He chose to break the entire timeline? "Well to a degree it was your own doing, I may have whispered a soft something in your ear of the future you." A small smiled crept along her ruby lips, a glisten of cheekiness in her eyes. "Oh… you…" He pointed at her before smirking himself because he truly had been wrapped around his daughter's little finger.

All he had to do was grasp a hold of his future self, a past self… either way he needed to do this to set things right. He pulled out his sonic, a scanner and few other random bits and bobs before sonicing the scanner to boost it. The scanner bleeped out after a few seconds, "Ah ha, there we go!" The Doctor began to rush out the room, Emerald in tow as he scanned the world they were in. "What are you doing?" She questioned, Clara now joining them as they came out. "More like where are you going with my prisoner Doctor?!" The General was unpleased with the fact that his suspect was set free and on the loose. The Doctor spun to face the man and raised a brow, "What am I doing? That's my daughter and I have every right to take her from here. Also, in other news I am trying to find another version of myself so I can fix the mess we are in. If you do not like it then leave!" The Doctor was now right up in the General's face, anger pulsing through him as he stared the man down.

"Fool!" The General murmured as the Doctor sped off down the hall with the girl's in tow. Clara glanced at Ella, seeing her pull out something that looked similar to the Doctor's sonic. "Erm… Clara," She held her hand out to Ella as they walked along.  
Ella glanced at Clara's hand before fiddling with her newly adjusted sonic. "I know who you are, I suppose the travel over here knocked out your ability to contain certain memories…"  
"Behave Pond!" The Doctor interrupted her in a flash to prevent any further arguments. Emerald smirked as she glanced at the Doctor, she knew all too well she'd get into trouble once they crossed back over, well…

The Doctor scanned furiously, praying he was about somewhere, trying to figure out where about his past self may have been. The scanner bleep furiously as it located an alien life form that was matched exactly to the Doctor's. This caused a cry of joy the moment he found it, "Bingo!" He spun to face the girl's and smiled, "I know where I am, past me! I just need to get to him!"

Emerald raised a brow, "Will the TARDIS work in this dimension?" A simply query that held nothing more than curiosity when asked. The Doctor shook his head, "I haven't the faintest idea, here we have that cheap tacky form of time travelling. Hate it."  
Emerald nodded a little before fiddling around in her pockets, "You need a Time Vortex Manipulator? I have just that." She pulled out one, grabbed his wrist and slipped it onto him, "Tap in the co-ordinates and you'll be right there." She smiled at him brightly before stepping back from him. "Don't be too long."

The Doctor hit the button required to jump through time and space available to him in this dimension. It was a rough journey and an even rougher landing as he felt his legs buckle beneath him and collapse to the ground, wheezing as he caught his breath. His eyes scanned the land around him. City, a side road and too quiet for his own liking, why would he be here?

Footsteps broke the silence that seemed to encase the road the Doctor found himself on. He glanced up to see a rather familiar jacket billowing behind a man running towards him and right behind him? "Cyberman…" He mumbled as he picked himself up from the floor and dusted himself down. "RUN!" The man rushed past him before coming to a skidding halt and turning to him, "Oh… Oh well, this is awkward. Did you know… that time is…" He pointed at his self for a moment.  
"Broken?" The Doctor finished the sentence off before nodding lightly in reply, "And I can fix it but you… you need to stay still."

His past self laughed, another wagging of the finger at himself, "There's a Cyberman coming this way and you… you want me to stay still?" Another chuckle escaped him as he glanced up to see the Cyberman coming in fast. "Fine what do you want me to do?" The past Doctor glanced at the Time Vortex Manipulator that was sitting upon the Doctor's wrist, so he'd travelled to get here? Must be important if he, himself was using tacky time travel.

"I… I need to touch you." His entire face screamed calmness and seriousness however his eyes were in fact filled to the brim with panic and fear. "Touch me? You think that'll work?" His past self asked, suspicious to why this action may or may not work. "Look I don't have time! I am you and you are me, you have to trust me… please!" For a moment they were both staring at each other, as if the world around them had stopped, the noise of metal stomping became muffled to them as they moved towards the Doctor's, "I am my own enemy, arch enemy, the worst of the worst. No Dalek or Cyberman or anything else I have met is worse than you, I… me. Why should I trust you?"

The Doctor gulped, he knew he'd always have this problem, facing up to the worst parts of himself and never knowing if he was being kind to himself or truly angered. "You should trust me because this involves our daughter, the little girl you will grow to love, will break your heart and above try and save. This is me, saving her right now." He held his hand out to his past self in the hopes he would listen.

"A daughter? So that was what River is having." A small smile crept along his lips, that calm and soft glee in his eyes as he stood there. "Then for her I will do what you ask," And with that instance they grabbed arms, sending a burst of golden time energy erupting to the sky above them. Time was being fixed, reality was finally fixing itself and in all honesty the Doctor felt a satisfying relief succumb to him.


	15. One Dead, One Risen

**Thus we come to the conclusion of the Doctor and his daughter's final trip! I hope you enjoyed!  
Please note that I really do not own anything from Doctor Who or Marvel, as much as I'd love to have come up with such an idea, I really do not own them :3 **

Chapter 15: One dead, One Risen

The hand hovered just above his wrist, The Doctor stared up into the face of himself, a weary and tired Time Lord staring back. The last in fact. As the Doctor noted how worn and exhausted he looked, he narrowed his eyes at him. "Don't do it, I know what happens, either way I lose her."  
His future self nodded, "I know and that is why I did not grab your arm. Now you know though, she was loved and that now she cannot be saved. Leave her be for time will take her and fix her." He lowered his arm, his fingers curling up into fists before turning his back on the group that stood there.

The Doctor gulped softly as his eyes trailed down to the girl at his feet. The sonic fell to his side as his head lowered and tearful eyes closed while his two hearts beat calmly for once. His empty hand reached over to his little girl and gently stroked her forehead before he leaned down and kissed it. "I promised to fix you and I shall." His hand glowed with a soft light of gold; the sparkles within it glittered tremendously, setting anyone in a trance when they looked at it. His hand reached down to her non beating hearts, it was time to kick start a new life into his daughter.

Vastra's eyes widened as she watched what unfolded before her. The Doctor was giving a life to save the one of his daughter's. It was a thing of beauty and sadness entwined as one. The Doctor clenched his eyes shut as he tried so hard to contain the pain he felt as he passed energy over to Ella but he had to do this.

Ella's chest glowed as the Doctor worked his 'magic', pouring his very love into her. A tingle shot through her, fingers began to twitch as her hearts began to slowly beat, gaining speed with every moment. It was working, she was finally living and she felt the weight of something old finally be lifted from her.

In moments the energy faded as quickly as it erupted and doused his daughter in life. As he went to remove his hand from Ella, he felt her hand grab his wrist, a gasp of air being stolen from the night air of Trenzalore as she lay there. In a flash the Doctor pulled her into his arms and hugged her firmly as if letting go would mean losing her again. "I'm sorry Pond… so sorry," He murmured as he kissed her head and rocked her gently. Ella clasped her arms around him in return, wide eyed, afraid and different because something told her that somewhere Pandora had found a way to keep on living, a body of her own.

The Doctor picked Ella up in his arms, he knew that after a regeneration legs were not the most stable things, in fact nothing was. "Let's get you back in the TARDIS," He whispered fatherly into her ear before pointing a finger at Vastra to get Jenny and Strax in the blue box also. He needed to get them from here, to get away from fate. Clara came bounding up behind them, fully recovered from her trip into a broken timeline of the Doctor's. "Will she be ok?" It seemed she had no recollection of the alternate, time broken world that she was just in but then again he had not expected her to remember it at all. "Hopefully, on the upside Pandora is no longer in her. I can't see how she escaped from becoming Hydra's… or Trenzalore's for that matter," Those questions would be answered another time because for now, he just wanted to get out of this place. 

The ground began to move a little, soil caving in, cracks forming where the dry blood had now seemingly disappeared. A hand finally pierced the surface, darkened nails clawing at the mud that surrounded the unmarked grave. Frantically it searched for a way out, needing to reach open ground in order to get out, needing air. Someone else had been watching though because they swooped down and grabbed it with ease and tugged on the hand that poked out of the ground. "Welcome back Sweetheart."


End file.
